THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATIONOF THENATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT;WITH THEACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS AND ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES, AS THEY WERERENEWED AT AUCHENSAUGH, NEAR DOUGLAS, JULY 24, 1712. (COMPARED WITH THE EDITIONS OF PAISLEY, 1820, AND BELFAST, 1835. )ALSO, THE RENOVATIONOF THESEPUBLIC FEDERAL DEEDSORDAINED AT PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880, BY THEREFORMED PRESBYTERY, WITH ACCOMMODATION OF THE ORIGINAL COVENANTS, IN BOTH TRANSACTIONS, TO THEIR TIMES AND POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY. 

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PHILADELPHIA 1880. 

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PREFACE. 

The Reformed Presbytery, at a meeting in Philadelphia, October 6th 1880, "_Resolved_, That another edition of the Auchensaugh Deed be published, "and appointed the undersigned a committee "to attend to this businesswith all convenient speed. "

This Presbytery, after forty years' experience, during whichopportunities have been afforded for examining the opinions andpractices of all parties, professing any regard for the CovenantedReformation, is still deeply impressed with the conviction that thetransaction at Auchensaugh 1712, is the only faithful renovation of ourCovenants, National and Solemn League. The fidelity of our fathers inthat hazardous and heroic transaction, it is believed, has ever sincebeen the _occasion_ (not the _cause_) of all opponents manifesting theirhostility to the whole covenanted cause, by first assaults upon thatdetested Bond. And that this is the real state of the case we proceed toprove by the following historical facts. _First. _--In connection withremodeling the Testimony; or rather by supplanting it in 1806, the Termsof Communion, without submitting an overture, were also changed toharmonize with _Reformation Principles Exhibited_, by excluding theAuchensaugh Renovation from the fourth Term, where it had stood fornearly a century. The same party have for years excluded from theirabstract of Terms the _Covenants themselves_. _Second. _--In Scotlandthis faithful document was expunged in 1822, obviously to prepare theway for the adoption of a _"New Testimony"(!)_, which appeared 1837-9. The majority of the actors in that work who survive, are now in the FreeChurch! _Third. _--At the time when defection was progressing in the R. P. Synod of Scotland, the sister Synod of Ireland strenuously resisted anattempt to remove the foresaid Bond from its place in the Terms. TheRev. Messrs. Dick, Smith and Houston in 1837, were faithful andsuccessful for the time in resisting that attempt. Mr. Houston "_wouldever resist any alteration_ in respect of the Auchensaugh Bond, regarding the objection laid against it as in reality aimed at theCovenants themselves. " Yet as a sequel to their Renovation of theCovenants at Dervock 1853, the Auchensaugh Bond was subsequently "shownto the porch"--removed from the Terms! _Fourth. _--At what was calledcovenant-renovation at Pittsburgh 1871, we believe no one spoke inbehalf of their fathers' noble achievement in 1712. Indeed this couldnot be rationally expected in a body who could tolerate membersvilifying the very Covenants which they pretended to renew. _Fifth. _--Other parties farther removed from the position of theirreforming progenitors; but who still claim ecclesiastical affinity withJohn Knox, and commonly prefix to the symbols of their faith thehistorical word _Westminster_, give very strong expression to theirfeelings of hostility--not to the Auchensaugh Bond, of which probablythey never heard, but to the British Covenants expressly; yea, to thevery ordinance of public social covenanting itself. But we shall letthem speak for themselves. One Doctor of divinity is reported assaying--"I am opposed to the whole matter of covenanting. Covenants doan immense sight more harm than good. Those Scotch Covenanters broughtpersecution upon themselves by their covenants. "[1]

Another Dr. Said, "I have always been opposed to covenanting. Onegeneration of God's people have no right to enter into bonds that entailobligations upon future generations. "[2] A third Dr. Said, "I hold it isa sin for men to go into the august presence of God and enter intocovenant with him. It is base presumption. "[3] A fourth Dr. Said, "Ihold that the church as an organization is not a responsible moralagent. Neither is the nation!" These sentiments may well exciteastonishment and alarm, when proclaimed by accredited teachers ofmorality and religion. _Sixth. _--Seceders have all along their historyclaimed to be the sole heirs of the Scottish covenanted inheritance. They are not ignorant of the Auchensaugh Renovation. How they view thattransaction may be best ascertained from their own language. The_Original Secession Magazine_ for November 1880, p. 861, speaks thus, "The distinction drawn between 'Covenanters' and 'Seceders, ' we haveshown to be groundless. Are Reformed Presbyterians covenanters at all?There is not an _actual_ Covenanter among them. They renewed theCovenants after a fashion in 1712. In our view the Covenants were notrenewed, they were only mangled, " &c. These sentiments are sufficientlystrong and explicit to be intelligible. The writer's feelings evidentlyinterfered with judicial discrimination, while openly expressing thathostility to the Auchensaugh Bond which is concealed by others. The Rev. John McMillan, whom the Lord honored to take the lead at Auchensaugh, isespecially branded by this writer who asserts, --"he did not secede andretire, he was expelled; nor was the position of his early associates inthe ministry of the purest water. " Moreover, this writer asserts "thatthey (Seceders) have actually renewed the Covenants, from time to time, during the whole period of their existence. " How could this be, sinceSeceders have all along rejected "the civil part of the Covenants?" Butthese documents bear on their face a direct aim at personal, domestic, ecclesiastical, and civil reformation. No party can intelligently andhonestly renew the National Covenant and Solemn League, while eulogizingthe "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, while in allegiance to the Britishthrone--that "bloody horn of the beast;" or whose political principleswill identify them with any other horn which may have power to scatter"Judah. " Zech. I: 21. 

We have thus attempted by an induction of particulars, as concisely aswe could, to point out existing opposition to our CovenantedReformation, by various parties who assail the British Covenantsdirectly, or by a first assault upon the Auchensaugh Bond, would reach afatal stroke at the Covenants themselves. We believe with ourpredecessors that those who reject the Auchensaugh Renovation, bylogical necessity will relinquish the Covenants themselves. 

The reader may be assured that neither we nor the Reformed Presbytery, whose committee we are, claim Papal infallibility or Christianperfection; nor do we ask implicit faith in any uninspired documents. But we sincerely believe ourselves that the Auchensaugh Renovation andthe Bond, to which the foregoing statements are prefixed, will be foundon examination to be sound, faithful, and "in nothing contrary to theword of God. "

DAVID STEELE, ROBERT ALEXANDER, JOHN CLYDE. _Committee_

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: This gentleman does not seem to know that infidels usesimilar argument against Christianity. Or, did he never read--"I camenot to send peace on the earth, but a sword. " His logic also is asfaulty as his theology--_non causa pro causa_. ]

[Footnote 2: On what principle does this minister dispense the ordinanceof baptism to subjects in their minority? Is baptism a mere ceremony, involving no obligation upon the children of believers? Gen. Xvii: 14. ]

[Footnote 3: No _presumption_, when graciously invited to do so. Is. Lvi: 4, 6, 11. This teaching tends to the subversion of socialorder--the moral order of the universe. 2 Pet. Ii: 10. ]

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THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION. 

THE NATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, WITH THEACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS AND ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES: AS THEY WERE RENEWED ATAUCHENSAUGH, NEAR DOUGLAS, 24th JULY, 1712, WITH ACCOMMODATION TO THE(THEN) PRESENT TIMES. 

PSALM lxxvi: 11. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God. 

ISAIAH xxiv: 5. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof:because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, brokenthe everlasting covenant. 

EZEK. Xvii: 18. Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant(when, lo, he had given his hand), and hath done all these _things_, heshall not escape. 

2 TIM. Iii: 3. Truce-breakers--or Covenant-breakers. 

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 

It is the ineffable product of eternal love, and infinite condescensionin God toward his rational creatures, that ever he was pleased to make acovenant with them, and not to command and require obedience to his holyand just will, by virtue of his most absolute supremacy and rightfuldominion only; but even to superadd sweet and precious promises, as areward of that obedience, which he might of right have required, withoutgiving any such incitements or pursuasives to it. And as no tongue ofmen or angels is sufficient to express, no strength of imagination toconceive, no sublimity of intellectual faculties to comprehend the depthof that spring, and breadth of that ocean of unbounded love, which hathexerted itself in God's covenanting with man; yea, with sinful man, bymeans of a Mediator: so shall it always afford matter of wonder andadmiration to all finite and intelligent beings, to the ages ofeternity, and shall never be comprehended by any, but by him whoseunderstanding is infinite; wherefore He, who is all-sufficient andself-sufficient, should invite, yea, press and entreat unworthy indigentnothings, the sinful children of men to such an incomparable degree ofhonor, dignity and advancement, as that is, to enter into a covenantrelation, and come into a solemn treaty of peace and conjunction withHim, who is infinitely removed beyond all blessing and all praise. Tohave this invitation, is indeed the honor and privilege of all withinthe visible church, to whose ears the joyful sound of the gloriousgospel of Jesus Christ hath come; but few are so wise as to accept andapprove it. Many, too many, account themselves unworthy of this honor, and by despising this privilege, and rejecting this dignity, deprivethemselves of the greatest happiness; but as all nations, upon whom theday-star of the gospel hath arisen, have had the invitation to thisduty, and all sound and real believers have actually participated ofthis honor, to have God making a covenant with them, and they strikinghands with Him through a Mediator (which covenant is commonly termed the_Covenant of Grace_, ) so these three kingdoms of Scotland, England andIreland conjunctly, and Scotland by itself, as an independent nation, had in an eminent way and manner the honor, above most nations in theworld, to dedicate and surrender themselves to the Lord, by a mostvoluntary, free and deliberate choice, and to come under the bond of amost solemn oath, in a most religious manner, devoting their all toChrist, his interest and honor, the flourishing and thriving of hiskingdom, the success of his gospel, and reformation of his churches; andopenly avouching him for their Lord and Master, to the honor of hisname, and confusion of his enemies; which _Covenants National_ and_Solemn League_, though we look not upon them to be the same with thecovenant of grace, yet we conceive of them as a solemn superadded andnew obligation, tying us to all the duties, as well of a particularChristian conversation, as these which tend to the public and nationaladvancement of reformation in religion, whereof the covenant of grace isthe spring and foundation. 

These covenants, as they were the effects and consequents of manyremarkable and signal expressions of divine love and goodness, manysingular mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to these nations, as thereturn of many earnest prayers and wrestlings of the Lord's people withhim; so they were the occasions of many blessings, and great indicationsof God's favor and loving-kindness. Then the Lord delighted to dwell inthe nations; then did he beautify the place of his sanctuary; then didhe fill his people's hearts with joy and gladness, by the familiarintimations of his special love and down pourings of his Spirit'sgracious influences, as our land can afford many instances. Then did heenlarge his people's affections, and animate their spirits with zeal andcourage, attended with knowledge, prudence and discretion to act forhim, and advance his kingdom. Then did he illustrate his churches inthese kingdoms, as bright and sparkling stars arising out of the thickclouds of antichristian darkness, and getting out from under Prelaticand Erastian yokes of bondage and slavery, and made them go forth as themeridian sun glorious and excellent; _terrible as an army with banners_. Hence it came to pass that these nations sent out a savory report to allthe neighboring reformed churches, a report which comforted, revived, strengthened, animated and encouraged all the true and loyal subjects ofChrist's kingdom; which struck terror and amazement to the hearts of hisenemies; which shook and caused to tremble the pillars of Antichrist'skingdom, and disquieted the very foundations of the _seat of thatbeast_; which made malignants at home and abroad to be ashamed andconfounded, and even forced the haters of the Lord to _feign submissionto him_. Numberless were the advantages and privileges which did redoundto these nations by, and were the lovely attendants and sweetconsequents of, these covenants; whereby God did set to his seal ofapprobation, and gave clear evidence and demonstration of his acceptanceof his people's cheerful and willing adventures in this duty ofcovenanting with him: and as these blessings and mercies, which, as thedew of Hermon, were distilled upon his people's heads and hearts, whilethey abode steadfast with him, and faithful in his covenant were so manyirrefragable proofs of his acquiescence in their first and laudableundertakings; so the many sad and fearful plagues, distractions, confusions and miseries, which have attended and followed the many grossbreaches and violations of these covenants and departures from God, areno less evident discoveries, undeniable signs and pregnant convictionsof the Lord's most just displeasure and indignation with the bypast andpresent courses of revolting and backsliding from him; which courses ofdeclension and grievous apostatizing from God and his covenant, all thethree kingdoms and in special this nation, and every individual thereincapable of such a work, are, without all controversy, called to bewailand confess before God, and by speedy amendment to turn from them, inorder to avert judgments, and turn away justly impendent wrath and longthreatened strokes. 

The consideration of these blessings and benefits, on the one hand, which followed the zealous entering into, and sincere performing ofthese sacred oaths; and upon the other hand the sense we desire toretain of the plagues and curses, threatened by God in his word againstcovenant-breaking inflicted upon covenant-breakers in former ages, andforeign nations, and visibly impending upon us in these nations, for ourperfidious dealing in God's covenant; hath moved us a _poorinsignificant handful of people_, unworthy indeed to be called theposterity of our zealous reforming ancestors, though heartily desirousto be found adhering to the same standard of doctrine, worship, discipline and government to which they adhered, to attempt this solemnand weighty duty of renewing (in our capacities and stations) thesecovenant obligations, that we might at least give some discovery of ourrespect to the cause of God, for the advancement and preservationwhereof these covenants were first entered into, and afterwards againand again renewed by our religious progenitors, and by the wholerepresentative body of the three kingdoms, who had any zeal for theinterest of religion. And that we might, for our parts, be in somemeasure instrumental to transmit a testimony for the work of God in ourland to the succeeding generation. Neither do we want, besides thesegeneral motives, some special inducements to this undertaking. As 1. Because these national covenants, having been nationally broken, andtheir funeral piles erected by wicked and perfidious rulers in thecapital cities of the kingdom, with all imaginable ignominy andcontempt, have long lien buried and (almost) quite forgotten under theseashes; most people either hating the very name and remembrance of them, or at least being ashamed honorably to avouch their adherence to them, and afraid to endeavor a vigorous and constant prosecution of the dutiescontained in them: So that it is high time that every one should do hisutmost towards a reviving of them. 2. Because many openly declare theirsorrow and grief that ever these covenants should have been enteredinto: malignants calling them a conspiracy, attributing everymiscarriage of the persons engaged in them to the covenants themselvesas their native effects; and others, who would take it ill to be calledmalignants, making them the causes of all the tyranny, rapine, bloodshedand persecution of the late reigns, as having raised the spleen of theenemies of religion, and accounting it safer that they should lie stillin their graves, than that they should irritate malignants any more bytheir resurrection. [4] Therefore we judge it our duty to renew them, that we might evidence, that notwithstanding all these maliciouscalumnies and false consequences cast upon them, we are still of thesame judgment with our reformers, that they are the most sovereignmeans, under the blessing of God, for the reviving and preserving thework of God in the land. 3. Because of the courses that are carried onin direct opposition to these covenants; the nations, formerly cementedin peace and love in conjunction with truth and righteousness, havingbroken these bonds, and united themselves upon another footing, by thelate sinful incorporating union: and imposing new oaths in opposition tothe covenant; such as abjuration, &c. Granting license, protection andtoleration to all the evils abjured in the covenant; as heresies anderrors in doctrine, superstition in worship, Prelacy and Erastianism ingovernment, and overthrowing all good discipline. 4. Because of our ownsinful miscarriages in, and woful declinings from our covenanted duties, our proneness to break covenant with God, and to be indifferent, lax, negligent and unsteadfast in the cause and work of God, and to be ledaway with the error of the wicked, and to fall from our steadfastness;wherefore we thought it necessary to bind ourselves by a new tie to theLord, and one to another in a zealous prosecution of covenanted duties, that the covenant might be as a hedge to keep us from running out intothe paths of destroyers. 5. We being sincerely desirous and having anearnest longing to celebrate the sacred ordinance of the Lord's Supper, whereof many had unjustly called us despisers and contemners, andfinding it to have been the laudable practice of the church of Scotlandformerly, that all such as were admitted to that holy table should swearand subscribe the covenant before their coming thereunto; we judged it afit preparation for our receiving a sacramental confirmation of God'scovenanted love and favor to us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that weshould avouch Him for our God, and testify our adherence to His causeand truth, by our renewing our national covenants with Him. 

Upon these and the like weighty considerations we resolved to set aboutthis solemn and tremendous duty; and being assured that we have nosufficiency in ourselves for any such undertaking, after frequentlyimploring the Lord for light and direction, strength and assistance, andseeking for ourselves a right way in the performance of the duty, upondays of humiliation, both in our private societies and publicly in thefields, we did condescend upon the following _acknowledgment of sins_, the more to enable us to remember our own and the land's breaches ofcovenant, in our solemn public confession thereof; and did draw up thefollowing _engagement to duties_, not to superadd any new oath andobligation to the covenants, but only to adjust the articles of thecovenant to the circumstances of the time, and to explain in what sensethe covenant binds us against the present evils that are now prevalentin the land, and to the contrary duties. As for the covenantsthemselves, we made no material alteration in them, as judging it a workmore proper for an assembly of divines, or representative body of churchand state (had they been upright and faithful in this cause) than forus, who, as we are called by others in contempt, must own ourselves intruth to be, _but a handful of weak and most illiterate people_, and butas babes in comparison of the first framers of our covenants; only thatwe might make them in some measure accomodable to the present lamentablecircumstances, whereinto we are involved by our iniquities, we haveannotated some few necessary alterations upon the margin, wherein thejudicious will find that we have in nothing receded from the scope andsubstance of the covenant, but only in the phrase; for instance, wherethe covenant binds to _the defence and preservation of the king'smajesty and government_, in regard we have no king nor supreme civilmagistrate so qualified, as God's law and the laudable laws of thisrealm require, to whom we might, for conscience sake, subject ourselves, in a consistency with our defending the true reformed religion in allits parts and privileges: Therefore, we can only bind ourselves to_defend and preserve the honor, authority and majesty of lawfulsovereigns, or supreme magistrates, having the qualifications aforesaid, when God shall be pleased to grant them to us_. Where no judiciousperson will say that there is any substantial alteration as to the_matter of the duty_, but only as to the object to whom the duty is tobe performed; there being none such in being as can justly claim, or towhom we may with a good conscience pay such an allegiance. 

Having mutually agreed concerning these prerequisites to this sacredaction, that the same might be orderly gone about, and might not beperformed in a clandestine way, so as to preclude any upright-heartedfriends to the covenanted reformation from joining with us in that sonecessary a duty, there was public intimation made of the design acompetent space of time before, upon a day of humiliation, and likewiseupon the Lord's day immediately preceding the work. 

As for the particular way and manner, method and circumstances of thework, we had not given any narrative of them; but that some, who camewith an evil eye, to spy out our liberty, for criticizing, not forjoining or profiting, have in part misrepresented the same, and mayfurther do so; therefore, to obviate all such misreports, we havethought fit to make this brief relation thereof. 

Upon Wednesday, July 23d, those who had the work in design being mettogether, the minister began the day's work with prayer for specialassistance to attain due preparation, and a suitable frame, throughoutthe whole solemnity: and thereafter had a prefatory discourse to thepeople, showing the nature of the work in general, its lawfulness, expediency, and necessity, from scripture precedents and approvenexamples of the people of God, adducing the 9th chapter of Ezra, Neh. Ezek. Dan. And Neh. X. 28, 29, for proof thereof; and of the day inparticular, that it was a day of fasting and supplication, withpreaching of the word, in order to preparation for the solemnitiesintended, both of renewing the covenants and celebrating the sacramentof the Lord's, Supper. After which a part of the lxxviii. Psalm, fromthe 5th to the 12th verse being sung, Mr. John M'Neil, preacher of thegospel, had a sermon upon Jer. 1. 4, and 5. "In those days, and in thattime, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and thechildren of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go and seekthe Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their facesthitherward, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in aperpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. " From which text heraised and prosecuted largely, and particularly the two followingobservations, as most pertinent for the work of the day; the firstimplicitly supposed, the other more explicitly asserted in the words;viz. 1. That, _a people in covenant with God may be forgetful of anddeal falsely in their covenant_; or that _covenant-takers may becovenant-breakers_. 2. That, _it is the duty of a people who have brokencovenant with God to engage themselves again to the Lord by therenovation of their covenant_. Where in prosecuting the former, heshowed by what gradual steps of declension a people usually come to dealfalsely in God's covenant, such as, (1. ) By forgetfulness, Deut. Iv. 23. There being a connexion between forgetting and forsaking, or dealingfalsely in God's covenant, so the church intimates, Psal. Xliv. 17, 18. "All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither havewe dealt falsely in thy covenant; our heart is not turned back, neitherhave our steps declined from thy way. " And the returning remnant ofIsrael being sensible of this connexion, resolve to bind themselves tothe Lord _in a perpetual covenant that may not be forgotten_. (2. ) Byseeking shifts and arguments to elude and evade the obligation of thecovenant and to defend the breaches thereof; which is after vows to makeinquiry. (3. ) By despising the bond of it; Ezek. Xvi. 59. "Which hastdespised the oath in breaking the covenant. " (4. ) By defection to theiniquities which are sworn and engaged against in the covenant, Jer. Xi. 10. "They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, whichrefused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them;the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant, which I made with their fathers. " (5. ) By changing the government, laws, and ordinances sworn to be maintained in the covenant; either thegovernment of the state, without consulting divine direction, and dueinspection into the qualification of the persons set up, Hos. Viii. , compare the 1st and 4th verses. "They have transgressed my covenant, &c. They have set up kings, but not by me, princes and I knew it not;" thatis, without consulting me to know my will, and without my approbationand consent; or the government of the church, without regard to therevealed will of God. Thus, Abijah justly chargeth Jeroboam that he had"cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, "and that he had "made priests after the manner of the nations of otherlands;" but encourages himself that he and Judah had the Lord for theirGod, because they had not forsaken him; "and the priests whichministered unto the Lord were the sons of Aaron. " 2 Chron. Xiii. 6, 10. (6. ) By an entire forsaking and disowning the obligation of thecovenant, Dan. Xi. 30. "He------shall have intelligence with them thatforsake the holy covenant. " (7. ) By a stated opposition to the covenant, and persecuting of these who adhere thereunto. Thus Elijah justlycharges Israel, 1 Kings xix. 10, that they had forsaken God's covenant, because they had thrown down his altars, slain his prophets, and soughtafter Elijah's life. And in a use of lamentation deduced from theforesaid doctrine, he showed, that all ranks in the land had reason tomourn over their breach of covenant, in regard that some of all ranks, from the throne to the dunghill, in church and state, are, or have beenguilty of dealing falsely in God's covenant, in all and every one ofthese diverse ways, and of declining from it: and in regard that therehas been so much ignominy and contempt cast upon these sacred covenants, not only by breaking them openly, but also avowedly disowning anddisdaining their obligation, and making the adherence to them criminal;and, which is above all, burning them by the hand of the hangman, andburying them so long in forgetfulness. This guiltiness he applied not togreat persons only, but also to professors, to ministers, andparticularly to ourselves, who are called dissenters from the presentestablishment; pressing upon us no less than others, the absolute andindispensable necessity of being convinced of, and mourning over these, not as the sins of others only, but also as our own--we having a chiefhand in the trespass; pressing upon all present concerned in the workthe duty of self-examination, and putting themselves to the trial, concerning their knowledge of the covenant obligations, both as to theirnature and extent, as well as their sense of the breaches of theseobligations. 

In the second head of doctrine, viz. , _That it is the duty of a peoplewho have broken covenant with God, to engage themselves again to him byrenovation of their covenant_; after proving the proposition by severalheads of arguments deduced--1st, From the lawfulness of entering intocovenant with God, whether personal, as Jacob, Gen. Xxviii. 20, 21, oreconomical, as Joshua and his family, Josh. Xxiv. 15, or national, asGod brought his people Israel under a covenant with himself, Exod. Xix5. The consequence holding undeniably, that if it be lawful andnecessary, in any of these respects, to enter into covenant with God, itmust needs be also lawful and a duty to renew the same after the breachthereof. 2dly, From Scripture precedents of the people of God, who, after breaking off and declining from God's covenant, renewed the same. As for instance, the covenant made with Israel at Horeb, was renewed atthe plains of Moab, Deut. Xxxix;--by Joshua, chap, xxiv. ;--by Asa, 2Chron. Xv. 13, 14;--by Jehoiada, 2 Kings xi. 17;--by Hezekiah, 2 Chron. Xxix. 10;--by Josiah, 2 Kings, xxiii. 2;--by Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra, x. 3;--Neh. Ix ult. And x. 28, 29. 3dly, From Scripture precepts, Deut. Xxix. 1--"These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commandedMoses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besidethe covenant which he made with them in Horeb. " Psalm, lxxvi. 11--"Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God. " 4thly, From Scripture promises, whereinthe Lord promiseth as a blessing and mercy to his church and people, that they should renew their covenant with him, Isaiah xix. 21, 23--25;Zech. Ii. 11. For further opening of the proposition, these twoquestions were proposed and solved--_First_, Whether all persons whohave broken covenant with God may be admitted to renew the same?_Answer_, All sorts of persons in the three kingdoms are under theobligation of the covenant, and consequently, bound to renew and keep itinviolable; but all are not in present capacity, and therefore have noactual right to enter into covenant: such as are obstinately wicked, living in error, profanity, or malignancy, have not God's call and rightfrom him, as such, to renew a covenant with him; for, Psal. 1. 16, 17--"God says to the wicked, What hast thou to do to take my covenant inthy mouth?" But all such as are reformed, or reforming from alliniquity, and namely from the defections and compliances of the time;who have some suitable sense of the breaches, and competent knowledgeand understanding of the duties engaged unto in the covenant, Neh. X. 28, have a right and an immediate call to the duty of renewing thecovenant. 2dly, If any number of people may renew a national oath andcovenant without the consent and concurrence of royal authority, or atleast, without the concurrence of some chief and principal men in churchand state? _Answer_, Without the concurrence of church and state, acovenant cannot be taken or renewed nationally, speaking strictly; yet afew may publicly declare their adherence to their covenant-engagementsby renewing them, not only without the consent and concurrence ofauthority, but against it; and there are several precedents for sodoing, both before and since the established reformation. As forinstance, that covenant at Edinburgh, Anno 1557; at Perth, 1559; atStirling, the same year; another at Leith, Anno 1560; another at Ayr, 1562. And at Lanark, a small handful of the Lord's people renewed it indirect opposition to, and at Lesmahago, without the consent orconcurrence of authority; which instances may be both an inducement andencouragement to us to renew, and in our mean capacity, to testify tothe nation our approbation of, and adherence to these covenants. 

In the prosecution of this doctrine, he had occasion also to insist uponthe _reasons_, or _motives_, and _manner_ of entering into covenant. Thescope and argument of the reasons adduced as motives to the duty ofcovenanting was to this effect:--

1. The turning away of the Lord's wrath and anger from a land, orpeople, which covenant-breaking hath deserved, may be a motive torenewing covenant with God; this was the motive that prompted the goodreforming King Hezekiah to make a covenant with the Lord, 2 Chron. Xxix. 10--"Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God ofIsrael, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. " And Nehemiah, withthe returned captives, Neh. Ix. 38--"And because of all this, we make asure covenant. "

2. Reviving and advancement in reformation, being the ordinaryconsequent and effect of upright covenanting with the Lord, may beanother motive and inducement thereunto; this appears both in personaland national covenanting--In personal, Psal. Cxix. 106--"I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. " ThePsalmist's having sworn, was a very quickening consideration to excitehim to the performance of his duty. In national covenanting, we alwaysfind, after the people of Israel and Judah had covenanted with the Lord, they made progress in reformation, and the land was purged ofabominations and idols. Thus it was in Asa's covenant, 2 Chron. Xv. 12to 19; for there, the people have entered into a covenant with the Lord, "and sworn with all their soul, and with all their heart, " the Lord wasfound of them; and Asa removed his mother, Maachah, from her royaldignity, and stamped the idol which she had made, and burnt it at thebrook Kidron; and he brought into the house of the Lord the things thathis father and himself had dedicated. Thus it was also in Jehoiada'scovenant, which he made "between the Lord, and the king, and the people, that they should be the Lord's people, " 2 Kings xi. 17, 18, 20; for, immediately after the making of his covenant, "all the people of theland went into the house of Baal, and brake it down--his altars, and hisimages brake they in pieces thoroughly; and the priest appointedofficers over the house of the Lord;" and they slew Athaliah with thesword. The like is evident in Hezekiah's covenanting, 2 Chron. Xxxiv. , xxxv. Chapters. 

3. This upright renewing of covenant with the Lord is a way and mean toprocure many mercies, both spiritual and temporal, from the hand of theLord; which should be a strong inducement and motive to engage usthereunto. Spiritual mercies are entailed upon it, Deut. Xxix. 12, 13. "That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and intohis oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: that he mayestablish thee to-day for a people to himself, and that he may be untothee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thyfathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. " Temporal mercies are alsopromised to this upright renewing and keeping covenant, Deut. Xxix. 9--"Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye mayprosper in all that ye do. " And, it is remarked, 2 Chron. Xv. 15, thatafter Asa's covenant, "the Lord gave them rest round about. "

4. The malice and opposition of the Popish, Prelatical, and malignantparty against the covenants, and their doing what in them lies, to maketheir obligation void and null, may be a motive and argument for thepeople of God so much the more to avouch their respect to them by apublic adherence, especially after long continued breaches. 

5. Upright entering into, or renewing covenant with God, is a mostsovereign medicine for healing a people's breaches, as well as theirbackslidings, the covenant being a cement, as well to join and unite thepeople of God one to another, as all of them in their duty to God; and, as it flows from the nature of the covenant to unite the friends ofreformation, so it is observable as one of the peculiar fruits ofcovenant-renewing, that union in the Lord has followed thereupon: thusit was with Israel and Judah in the text, who united together in makinga covenant with the Lord. Whence all the people of God, who are calledto be united and "perfectly joined together in the same spirit, and inthe same mind;" and especially they who have been lamentably divided onefrom another, by their manifold defections from God, and from theircovenant-engagements, ought to be strongly inclined, moved, and engagedto this duty; from this consideration, the upright covenant-renewing isa usual mean of land-uniting and church-uniting dispositions amongst thepeople of God. 

As for the manner of renewing covenant with God, and how the duty oughtto be gone about, he propounded and opened it in the followingparticulars, to this effect:--

1. That it must be done with understanding and judgment, both inrelation to the nature of the duties we engage to perform in thecovenant: grossly ignorant persons being justly deprived of theprivilege of engaging in covenant, though bound to inform themselves ofits nature and obligation; and also in relation to the breaches, such aswould engage into it being called to have some suitable sense andunderstanding, both how it has been violated, and by what means personscome to be guilty of the breach thereof. So, Neh. X. 28, 29--"Every onethat had knowledge and understanding entered into the covenant. "

2. This duty must be gone about with sincerity and uprightness of heart;thus Joshua, when making a covenant with the people, that they shouldserve the Lord, exhorts them--"Now therefore fear the Lord, and servehim in sincerity and truth, " Joshua, xxiv. , compare the 25th verse withthe 14th. The want of which qualification in covenant-renewing, causesunsteadfastness and perfidy in covenant-performing--Psal. Lxxviii. 36, 37. 

3. This duty of covenant-renewing requires, as a qualification towardsthe right performing of it, that there be a due consideration, and somesuitable impression of the solemnity and weightiness of the work: whichariseth, partly from the _object_ or _party covenanted with_, the holyand jealous God, Joshua xxiv. 19--"He is a holy God, he is a jealousGod, he will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins, " and partlyfrom the _subject matter covenanted, or engaged to_. The articles of thecovenant of grace, which we have professedly, at last, yielded to in ourbaptism, are weighty; for therein, as God engages to give us himself, his Son Christ Jesus, and in him all temporal and eternal blessings; sowe engaged to be obedient children, and faithful subjects to him all thedays of our lives. And the articles of these national covenants areweighty, for therein we engage to great things relating to the glory ofGod, and the good of our own and other's souls. And, partly, thisweightiness ariseth from the great _danger and dreadful punishment ofbreaking the covenant_; which is threatened in many places of Scripture. The same is also intimated to us in the customs both of the Jews andHeathens, in entering into covenant; particularly, we find that the Jewsused to cut a calf, or some other clean beast, in twain, and passbetween the parts of it--using this, or the like form of speech, as theJewish doctors relate--"So God divide or separate me, if I keep not thiscovenant. " Jer. Xxxiv. 18, compared with verse 20--"I will give the meninto the hands of their enemies who have transgressed my covenant, whichthey had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passedbetween the parts thereof. " Nehemiah also, chap. V. 12, 13, when he tookan oath of the priests, shook his lap and said--"So God shake out everyman from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not thispromise, " &c. And all the covenanters said--"Amen. "

4. Much tenderness and heart-melting is requisite to the rightperforming of this duty. So it was with covenant-renewing Israel andJudah, who were "weeping as they went to seek the Lord their God, and tomake a covenant never to be forgotten. " This brokenness of heart, andtender-melting frame may arise, both from the consideration of the manysins and iniquities whereby persons have provoked the Lord their God toanger, whence they come "to be like doves of the valley, every onemourning for his iniquity:" and likewise from the consideration of thegrace and mercy of God, manifested in Christ Jesus, his condescension toenter into a covenant with sinful men, and readiness, upon his people'srepentance, to pardon their former breaches; from the consideration ofthis transcendently free grace, an humble and sincere covenanter will betransported into an ecstacy of wonder and admiration; as the church is, Mic. Vii. 18, 19, 20--"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardonethiniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of hisheritage?" &c. 

5. Dependency and recumbency upon the Lord by faith, for strength toperform covenant engagements, is requisite to right covenanting, Isa. Xxvii. 5--"Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace withme; and he shall make peace with me. " This is to "take hold of" God'scovenant, Isa. Lvi. 4. 

6. Affection to God and the duties whereunto we engage, is requisite toright covenanting, and that in its flower and vigour, height andsupremacy. Thus, 2 Chron. Xv. 12, 15, Asa and the people "entered into acovenant, to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart, and with all their soul:--And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for theyhad sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire. "They had an affection to the work, and did it with complacency, not indissimulation, so as not to design to perform it: nor throughcompulsion, with an eye to secular profit or preferment, as many inthese lands did. 

7. It is necessary, in order to right covenanting, that the work begone about with a firm purpose and resolution (through grace enablingus) to adhere to our covenant engagements, notwithstanding whateveropposition and persecution we may meet with from the world for so doing, and whatever difficulties and discouragements may arise from themultitude of those, who prove unsteadfast in, or foully forsake theircovenant. We must stand to our covenant, as it is said of Josiah, 2Chron. Xxxiv. 32, that "he caused all that were present in Judah andBenjamin, to stand to" the covenant, which implies as well a firmresolution to perform, as consent to engage, as in the latter part ofthe verse, it is remarked, that "the inhabitants of Jerusalem didaccording to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers;" where_doing according to the covenant_ is exegetical of _standing to it. _David also joins the resolution of performance with swearing; Psal. Cxix. 106. "I have sworn, and I will perform, that I will keep thyrighteous judgments. "

From the doctrine thus confirmed and explained, he drew this inference, by way of information, that seeing it is a people's duty, who havebroken covenant with the Lord, to engage themselves again to him, byrenewing their covenant, that it is not arbitrary for us (as many areapt to think) to renew, or not to renew our covenant; but that there isa plain and positive necessity for our repenting and returning again tothe Lord, by entering anew into covenant with him, whether personal madein baptism, or at the Lord's table, or under affliction and trouble, ornational vows and covenants entered into by ourselves or our fathers. And in a use of lamentation, he bewailed the backwardness of theselands, and particularly of this nation, to this duty; in that, now aftersixty years and upwards of great defections from, and grievous breachesof our covenants by people of all ranks; yet there appears so littlesense of either the obligations or breaches of them, and of adisposition to reviving them, even amongst those who not only professsome love to the reformation of religion, but even some belief of theirperpetual binding obligation; and that notwithstanding, as the ProphetIsaiah saith, concerning Judah, chap. Xxiv. 5, "The earth (or the land)is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressedthe laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant;" ourland having been denied with Popery and Prelacy, and with a flood ofabomination and profanity, the natural consequent of perfidy, theordinances having been changed, perverted and corrupted, and thecovenant not only broken, but burnt ignominiously, and the adherence toit made criminal; yet, for all this, there has not been a time found forrenewing them these twenty-three years; and that ministers, at whosedoor it chiefly lay to stir up the land to this work, have many of thembeen as careless as others, waiving and putting off a stumbled andoffended people, expressing some concernedness for this duty, with theseand the like pretexts, that it was not a fit time, nor the land in acase for it (too sad a truth), but not laboring to get the land broughtto be in a case and disposition for it, by pressing the obligation, andplainly discovering the violations thereof; so that, instead of beingbrought to a fitter condition for this duty, the covenants are almostforgotten and quite out of mind, so that the succeeding generation isscarce like to know that ever there was a covenant sworn in Scotland. And more particularly, that the godly, who are dissatisfied with, anddissent from the defections and corruptions of the times, havediscovered so little concern about the work of reformation, and cause ofGod, which the covenants oblige us to own, defend, and promote. Allwhich laxness and remissness is for a lamentation, and ought to belamented and mourned over by the people of God. 

In the exhortation, he pressed upon us who are embodied together torenew our _covenant-engagements_, by giving an open and public testimonyof our adherence to the _covenants, national_ and _solemn league_, thatwe should labor to attain a suitable frame, and serious consideration ofthe weightiness, solemnity, and awfulness of the work we were thenundertaking: enforcing the same by several cogent motives, as namely, because in renewing these covenants we are called to remember ourbaptismal and personal vows, whereby we had renounced the devil, theworld and the flesh, and devoted ourselves to the Lord to be his people;which if they were slighted and forgotten, there could be no right, acceptable, and comfortable entering into _national covenants. _ Andlikewise because of the weightiness of the duties engaged to in our_national covenant_, and in the _solemn league_ and _covenant_, whichhe proved to be a covenant that ought to be renewed by us in this nationno less than our _national covenant_, in regard it was a religious, just, and holy covenant made betwixt God and the three kingdoms, thoughit cannot now be taken in the same consideration and extent, as at thefirst framing it was, viz. : As a league betwixt us and therepresentative body of the kingdoms of England and Ireland: where hetook occasion to go over the several articles of the covenant, showingthe nature and weightiness of the duties. 

Beside these two more general doctrines which were chiefly insistedupon, he observed several others pertinently deducible from the words, as first, _That unfaithful dealing in God's covenant will breed distanceand estrangement from God. _ This is implied in the children of Israeland Judah seeking the Lord, asking the way to Zion, &c. ; their askingthe way to Zion, importing that they had forgotten the right way ofworshipping God, and that their sins had made a sad separation betweenthem and their God. Secondly, That it is necessary that persons becomesensible of their sin against God, and of his anger against them, andlay these things to heart, that they may be concerned aboutreconciliation with God, and reform their lives. Thirdly, That thekindly exercise of repentance in a backsliding people lamenting afterthe Lord, and setting about to renew their covenant with him, hath aneffectual influence to unite and cement the divided people of God: thusin the text the children of Israel and Judah, whom their iniquities hadlong and sadly divided, are uniting together in this desirable frame ofweeping and seeking the Lord their God, and making a perpetual covenantwith him. This doctrine he proved and applied briefly as the time wouldpermit, both because of its native result from the text, and because ofhis own, and our sincere desire to see a holy union and communion, inthe way of truth and duty effected by returning to the Lord, andrenewing the covenant with him, as among all the godly, so especiallyamong those that profess their dissent from, and dislike of the corruptcourses of the times. 

Sermon being ended, after prayer, the covenants were first readaccording to the _Directory for renewing the solemn league andcovenant_, prescribed by the Act of the General Assembly at Edinburgh, 6th October, 1648, post meridiem, entitled, _Act for renewing of theSolemn League and Covenant;_ and, thereafter, the followingAcknowledgment of Sins was also read: after which, prayer was made, containing a comprehensive confession of the more general heads of theforesaid Acknowledgement of Sins; and a part of the 78th Psalm, beginning at the 36th verse, was sung; and the minister dismissed thecongregation with a short reprehension and advice, reproving them fortheir unconcerned carriage and behaviour during the reading of theacknowledgment of the breaches of these covenants, which had been firstentered into at the expense of so much blood and treasure, and confirmedand sealed with the blood of many honourable martyrs of all ranks in theland; withal, exhorting all present to labour after a heart-meltingframe for the right performance of the work in hand. 

Upon Thursday, July 24th, after singing a part of the 105th Psalm, fromthe 6th to the 12th verse, and prayer--Mr. John M'Millan preached uponIsaiah, xliv. 5--"One shall say I am the Lord's: and another shall callhimself by the name of Jacob: and another shall subscribe with his handunto the Lord, and sirname himself by the name of Israel. " Whereupon, after the unfolding of the context, and explication of the words, showing that they clearly contain an intimation of a covenant relationbetwixt God and a people, and their avouching of the same upon theirpart; the words seeming to have a reference to the state of the NewTestament Church, and conversion of the Gentiles, who, being allured bythe great gospel blessings and mercies bestowed by God upon the Jews, tojoin themselves to the church, should avouch their interest in theMessiah and covenant of grace, by taking the Lord for their God, andowning themselves to be his people. So that the words may be taken up asan answer to such a presupposed question as this, _Whose are you?_ _andwhat is your name?_ To which question, one shall answer, _I am theLord's;_ another, _I am one of old Jacob's family and offspring_;another, if you desiderate my name, look the covenant subscriptions andyou will find it there; another shall say, whatever my name was before, _my sirname now is an Israelite_. So sweetly should a shower of gospelgrace engage the hearts of the New Testament converts to avow theircovenant relation to the Lord, and glory in their union with his churchand covenanted people. Having taking up the sense of the words to thiseffect, he deduced from them these two observations:

_1. That the Lord is graciously pleased sometimes to privilege hispeople with very remarkable tokens of his gracious presence. _ Thisdoctrine is clear from the context, verses 3d and 4th--"For I will pourwater upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I willpour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. Andthey shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by thewatercourses. "

Under this head of doctrine, he gave the following marks to evidencewhether the present time of renewing our covenant with God was indeed tous a time of the Lord's privileging us with his gracious presence--1st, That a time of God's privileging his people with his gracious presence, and with a shower of gospel grace, is a very inviting and alluring time;wherein, as the Lord invites his people to their duty, by engaging theirhearts and souls, through his Spirit's gracious influences, to fall inlove with him and his commandments, so they mutually invite one anotherto covenant with God. 2d, That such a time proves a soul-engaging andtaking time, wherein souls are engaged to fall in love with thecovenant, and with Christ the Mediator of the covenant, and are taken inthe net of the gospel. 3d, That a time of the letting out of God'sgracious presence is ordinarily a time of many sweet and excellentresolutions, the people of God resolving to walk more accurately andcircumspectly in the ways of new obedience. 4th, That this usually is atime of ridding marches, and clearing of evidences. 5th, That it is atime of many and special confirmations of God's love to the soul. 6th, That this time of God's letting out much of his gracious presence to hispeople, is a very uniting and healing time to them amongst themselves. Having given these marks, to show whether the Lord were, at theoccasion, letting out his gracious presence, he added, by way ofcaution, that seeing (no doubt) the people of God would be expectingsomething of all these, upon the undertaking of so great a work; if sobe that they found it not, they should not thence be induced to havehard thoughts of the Lord, and to conclude that he keeps not his usualmethod with his people, or is not so good to them as formerly he hathbeen: for whatever defects there are upon his people's part, there isnone upon the Lord's, for he remains the same to them, providing they doso to him; the change of his dispensations towards his people being fromthe change of his people's deportment towards him. 

The Second Doctrine, resulting more directly from the words, was, _Thatthe Lord's Spirit poured out in plenty upon his people will quicklybring them to an embracing of him, and to a public acknowledgment andavouching of the same. _ Thus it was with the people of God in thetext--no sooner does the Lord "pour water upon the thirsty, and floodsupon the dry ground, " even his Spirit upon the spiritual seed of Israel, but presently they are at covenanting work and subscribing work; "Oneshall say, I am the Lord's, " etc. In prosecuting this doctrine he shewedfirst negatively that he was not for that occasion largely to treat ofthe several ways that the Spirit useth to manage this work of engagingthe hearts of his people to embrace Christ, and so to make a publicavouchment of the same; whether he doth it by representing to theirviews the sweet and precious promises made in the covenant of grace, thereby sweetly alluring and drawing them with the cords of love tohimself, or by holding forth to their consciences the terrors andthreatenings of the law, and thereby powerfully constraining them to flyto him as to the city of refuge from the face of Divine Justice pursuingthem: for seeing the Spirit is a free agent and blows both how and wherehe listeth, he may engage a soul to close with Christ by either of theseways, though most usually he doth it by a conjunction and concurrence ofboth. Only this ought to satisfy us, that what way soever the Spirittaketh in bringing a soul to embrace Christ upon the gospel terms, he somanageth the work as that the end is effectually and infalliblyattained. 

Nor Secondly, Was he to enquire into the measure of the outpouring ofthe Spirit's graces and operations, which is effectual for attaining theend, this being one of the deep things of God which the Spirit alonesearcheth, and therefore is not necessary for us further to know, saveonly that we understand so much to be needful as may serve to empty thecreature of all confidence in or dependence upon itself, or any othercreature-helps whatsoever, and bring it to rely upon Christ alone, foracceptance with God; so much is necessary, and less cannot besufficient. 

Nor Thirdly, Was he to handle the material differences between those whoare brought really and sincerely to accept, embrace and acknowledge theLord for their Lord, and to avouch the same publicly, which presupposetha mighty power of the Spirit manifested in the sweet impressions whichhe maketh upon the soul, moving them sweetly and readily to comply withand yield to Christ without any longer resistance, and these who only insemblance and shew profess to avouch Christ to be their Lord, and feignsubmission to him, not from the Spirit's effectual and savingoperations, but either from carnal and external considerations, or atmost from the Spirit's common motions and convictions; which differencescommonly arise from the different natures, motives, manner or ends ofthis their acknowledging and avouching Christ for their Lord, andcovenanting with Him. 

These things, as not so immediately proper for the work in hand, thoughnatively involved in the doctrine, being only cleared in transition; hecame in the second place more positively to insist upon and handle thefollowing heads. First, More generally to propose some considerationswhich make such a great work as renewing covenant with the Lord aweighty, hard and difficult work. And upon the other hand, to lay downsome counterbalancing considerations which render such a work more easyand light, and may afford matter of encouragement toward the undertakingof it. Secondly, More particularly in application to ourselves and thework in hand, to lay before those who were resolved to enter intocovenant with the Lord, what were the things that seemed to speakagainst us in the work, and might prove matter of discouragement in theundertaking of it. And what, upon the other side, might speak for us, and be ground of encouragement to us to go forward in humble and sincereendeavors to renew our covenant with the Lord. Thirdly, To give someadvices and directions to such as were resolved upon the work. As forthe first: The considerations which make covenanting work weighty anddifficult. The _first_ consideration was drawn from the greatness of theparty to be covenanted with, the great and glorious Jehovah, theCreator of the ends of the earth, who is a holy and jealous God, and whowill not forgive the iniquity of such as are false hearted andperfidious in his covenant, obstinately persisting in their falsedealing; so Joshua premonisheth a people making very fair resolutionsand promises to serve the Lord, that it was a harder work than at thefirst sight they apprehended; "That they could not serve the Lord, inregard he is an holy God, he is a jealous God, and would not forgivetheir transgressions nor their sins; and that if they should forsake theLord, and serve strange gods, then he would turn and do them hurt andconsume them, after he had done them good, " Josh. Xxiv. 19, 20. 'Tis apart of his name, Exod. Xxxiv. 7. _That he will by no means clear the(obstinately and impenitently) guilty_. 

A _second_ consideration that makes the work of covenanting with God toappear a hard and difficult work, was taken from the nature of the workitself, which is to serve the Lord in a covenant way, and in thecapacity of covenanted children, this covenant relation involving in ita walk and conversation in all things like the chosen of the Lord; and'tis no small matter, so to walk, and so to behave as to be accountedworthy of a covenanted union with the Lord and interest in him, thiscovenant relation being confirmed with such awful sanctions, as inscripture we find, Neh. X. 29. "They------entered into a curse and intoan oath, to walk in God's law, " &c. This consideration, that covenantingwork is weighty in its own nature, was further illustrated and amplifiedfrom the difficulty both of the things to be engaged against, and of thethings to be engaged unto. As for the former, the things to be engagedagainst, which is sin in all its kinds and degrees, and in all theinducements to it, both with reference to ourselves, and also as toparticipation in the sins of others. This must first be put away, if onewould be a right covenanter. Well did old Jacob understand the necessityof this, who being resolved to go up to Bethel, to renew his covenantwith God, that answered him in the day of his strait, advises his familyfirst "to put away the strange gods that were amongst them, and to beclean. " Gen. Xxxv. 2. So David assures us, Psal. Xxxiv. 14, thatdeparting from evil must precede doing of good. A man that would lift uphis face without spot in renewing covenant with God, must first "putiniquity far away, and not suffer wickedness to dwell in histabernacles, " as Zophar advises Job, chap. Xi. 14, 15. They that wouldtake on with a new master must be fairly parted from the old, there isno way of pleasing both Christ and mammon, and therefore no possibilityof serving both; whence the nature of covenanting work requires, thatthere be an upright putting away of all sin; for if the soul have anysecret reserves in favor of a beloved sin, it has no ground to thinkthat Christ will accept it, as his covenanted spouse and bride. Nor isthis all, but 2dly, it must be mourned over and truly bewailed, especially upon the account of the offence done to a gracious Godthereby; which sorrow must not be of an ordinary sort, but anextraordinary and most intense sorrow, for it cannot be an ordinary kindof sorrow, provided it be in any suitable measure proportioned to theoffence. And 3dly, which follows upon the former, there must be a"loathing of the person's self because of these its ways and doings thathave not been good in his sight, " Ezek. Vi. 9, even to that degree as tofill the soul with wonder and astonishment, that ever it should have anoccasion of renewing covenant with God again. 4thly, There must be asincere and hearty resolving against all sins, consequent upon thisloathing; the soul saying with a steady purpose, "if I have doneiniquity I will do so no more, " Job xxxiv. 32. 

2dly, As to the latter, the things engaged unto render the nature ofcovenanting work difficult and weighty, which are duties of variouskinds, such as, 1st, Holiness towards God, which is one special andchief part of the covenant, and that not for a time only, but for ever;both in regard that God, the party covenanted with, is holy andunchangeably so, and calls his people to imitate him in this attributeespecially; and also in regard that the covenant itself is for itsnature holy, all the articles being morally good and consonant to theroyal law, the scriptures of truth; and for the extent of its duration, of perpetual force and obligation. This duty of holiness towards God, engaged to in the covenant, comprehends in it a zealous endeavor tomaintain the purity of the doctrine, worship, discipline and governmentof his institution, in opposition to all those who would corrupt it, ordecline from it. 2d, Righteousness towards our neighbor, and moreespecially to our covenanted brother; which righteousness shoulddiscover itself both in reference to sin and duty, by reproving him forsin; or upon his rejecting reproof, by withdrawing from him, that he maybe ashamed, and so come to be reclaimed from his evil course; and byaffording him all that help and assistance to covenanted duties, thatmay be warrantably called for, and generally by uprightness towards himin all our transactions and dealings of any kind. 3d, Faithfulnesstowards our nation, which comprehends a constant endeavor to advance andpromote in our station the common good thereof; and a stedfastopposition to the courses that tend to take away the privilege of thesame. 4th, Uprightness towards ourselves, in everything relating to thereal good of our own souls and bodies; by walking in all the duties ofsoberness, temperance, and moderation; for as others are to have theirdue, so ourselves are not to be neglected. 

A _third_ consideration, whereby the duty of renewing covenant with Godappears to be difficult and weighty, was deduced from _the manner andway of engaging_; whereunto several things of great difficulty to beattained were showed to be absolutely necessary, as, 1st, _Judgment_, toknow, and in some measure comprehend, the nature of the duties to beengaged to, and the advantages flowing from the right entering into, andkeeping of the covenant, and the losses redounding to the breakersthereof. 2d, _Seriousness_, which, if ever it be in exercise, willcertainly then be most lively, when the soul is entering upon a work ofso high import, as making a covenant with God; for then the creature hasone of two things to look for, either covenant blessings, or covenantcurses, according as it performs or not performs the tenor of thecovenant. 3d, _Deliberation_; rashness in covenanting is of dangerousconsequence: 'tis not the example of others only, nor raw flashes ofconviction or love, nor external considerations, as gain, honor, men'sapprobation, &c. , that must induce to this duty; but a fixed permanentpurpose of heart and soul, rationally and deliberately entered into. 4th, _Heart-integrity_, That it be done with all the heart, 2 Chron. Xv. 15, for the man brings himself under a curse, that "having a male in hisflock, sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing. " Mal. I. 14. 

A _fourth_ consideration, from whence the work of covenanting comes tobe a difficult and hard work, was deduced from the _way and manner ofperforming_ the duties engaged to; which is (as 'tis expressed in thecovenant) with sincerity, reality, and constancy; the difficulty ofattaining to these qualifications in the performance of covenant-duties, arising partly from the strength of corruption within, the law of sinand death, which opposes the law of God; and partly from the strength ofsnares and temptations from without; which requires, that (as becomescovenanted children) there be a daily recourse to Jesus Christ, forlight to discover, and strength to overcome these corruptions andtemptations; and life, that the soul turn not dead and insensible underthem. 

A _fifth_ consideration, from whence the difficulty of covenanting withGod is sometimes heightened, was taken from _the meanness of such asattempt the work_. When the great ones, the nobles that are called _theshields of the earth_, do not afford their authority and patrociny, asan encouragement to the undertaking; and when the wise and learned willnot employ their learning, parts, and abilities for the facilitatingthereof; but the mean and weakest are left to do the work alone. Thiswas no small difficulty and discouragement to the Tekoites, in theirbuilding and repairing the wall of Jerusalem, "That their nobles put nottheir necks to the work of their Lord. " Neh. Iii. 5. 

A _sixth_ consideration, which may sometimes render such a work hard anddifficult, was drawn from _the want of the concurrence of civilauthority; and the opposition made thereunto by the laws of the land_;which, when it happens to be the case of a people designing to renewnational engagements cannot but be a very difficult and discouragingingredient amongst others in their cup. 

On the other hand, these counterbalancing considerations were adduced, which are as so many props and pillars to support his people, and toallay the difficulties of the duty of entering into covenant with God, and to make it the more light and easy. 1st, _That the work is theLord's_, and he is greatly concerned in it; and, therefore, his peoplemay safely lean to him for help, he having enacted no law against it, asmen have. 2d, That _he looks not upon his people in such undertakings, as in themselves_, for then it were impossible for creatures, havingthe least sinful imperfection in them, to covenant with their spotlessCreator, and come so near a jealous God, who is a consuming fire to theworkers of iniquity; _but he considers his people in their covenantingwith him, as in their head, Christ, his eternal Son_; whence we maysafely say, That our national covenant wants not a Mediator more thanthe covenant of grace, in this sense, as it is through him we haveaccess to make this covenant with God. 3d, That _the Lord has promisedhis presence to his own work_; thus we find through the whole of thecovenants made, and renewed by the people of Israel and Judah, that theLord discovered his gracious presence with them, by some remarkableeffect of his goodness. Thus it is remarked of Hezekiah, that after hehad entered into covenant, "That the Lord was with him, and he prosperedwhithersoever he went forth, " 2 Kings xviii. 7, compared with 2 Chron. Xxix. 10. 4th, That _the Lord puts none of his people to any piece ofhis work upon their own proper expense and charges, but upon his own_;and whatever complaints his people may have of want of necessarycharges, he both has wherewith to supply them, and has undertaken tomake it actually forthcoming for them, having commanded his people toopen their mouths wide, and he has promised to fill them. 5th, That thecovenant has a greater entail of blessings, than what will sufficientlycompensate whatever expense and pains a people may be at, in undertakingand performing it. In regard, that though a Christian should lose all, yea, even life itself, upon the account of it, yet the covenant willbring in all with advantage to a hundred fold, and glory to theoverplus, when it is duly observed. 6th, That _the undertakers haveGod's call and commandment to set about it_; this is that which, aboveall other considerations, inspires a Christian with undaunted courageand alacrity in the undertaking of a duty, when it is made clear thatthe person has God's call and command for a warrant; otherwise the wantof this may make the duty to be heartlessly and doubtingly entered upon, and lamely performed. 

Seeing, therefore, that sometimes a work may be the Lord's, and yet theLord's call to such a particular person, or people to undertake it, maybe wanting; he came necessarily (which was the _second_ head proposed)to enquire, what were the several things that might seem to speakagainst us, as not having this call from the Lord, and what were thethings that spake for us, and might give us matter of encouragement inundertaking the work before us. --In solution of which the followingconsiderations were proposed. 

1st, As to the things that might seem to speak against us: 1st, _Ourdarkness_, not whether covenanting be a duty, but in regard of the wantof right apprehensions of the nature and greatness of the duty, whichcannot be a sufficient ground to neglect the duty, unless there weresome duties from which a Christian is exeemed and that this is one ofthem, which indeed will not be found in the whole Bible. 2d, _Our wantof a frame suitable for the greatness and weightiness of the work_, which speaks sadly against us, but is not to be a ground to neglect theduty, we being commanded to look to the God of the covenant for it. 

Upon the other hand, the things which seemed to speak for us, and yieldmatter of encouragement, that not only the work was the Lord's, but alsothat we had his call to the same, were, 1st, The many, palpable, plain, and open breaches of these covenants, are a loud call to renew them. 2d, The undervaluing account that the nations have made of them, is a callto all such as have any respect to the sacred name of the Lord invocatedin these covenants, to do their utmost to vindicate them from thatdisgrace, by showing how high a price and value they put upon them. 3d, The lands enacting the perpetual banishment of these covenants, andimposing oaths contrary and opposite to them; which brings doubleperjury upon the nation, both by disregarding and omitting theperformance of this just, lawful, and commendable covenant, and bymaking unjust, sinful and hateful covenants, for opposing the growth andsuccess of Christ's kingdom, even the reformation of these many abusesthat have corrupted the holy religion of his institution: And perjurydrawing wrath after it, as a native and necessary fruit consequent; theythat would stand in the gap, to turn away national wrath, cannototherwise make up the hedge, that the land should not be destroyed, butby renewing and keeping national covenants. 4th, That so many arespeaking against them everywhere, accounting them a conspiracy againstroyal authority, a popular combination for advancing private ends andinterests under the cloak of religion, or at least unnecessary andunprofitable for the end intended by them, binding to things of such aheterogeneous nature, as renders the keeping of them, and keeping withinthe sphere of our own activity and station, inconsistent and impossible, and such things as whereof we now have no occasion, and the like; whichis a loud call to us, or any that retain other thoughts of their natureand ends, than the generality do, to speak for them; which cannot bedone more fitly, honorably, nor conspicuously any other way, than byrenewing and observing them. 5th, The practice of the godly in such ajuncture of time, as what ours appears to be, is a call and encouragingconsideration to set us upon this work: the godly usually in times ofgreat defection from the purity and power of religion, and corruption ofthe ordinances of God's worship, set about renewing their covenant, thereby to prevent covenant curses, and procure covenant blessings; aswe find both in scripture record, 2 Chron. Xv. 12, 13; xxix. 10; xxxiv. 30, 31; Ezra x. 3, and in our own ecclesiastic history. And the practicewas justified by the success, for the most part terminating in somereviving and reformation. 6th, The time being come to such a crisis, that such as would keep the word of Christ's patience cannot any longerdo it in a distinguishing way from those that are covenant-breakers, butby renewing covenant, and thereby making a test and trial of thewell-wishers to the covenanted interest in the land, is a call to setabout this work: in former times the godly held fast this theirprofession, by suffering for their adherence to covenanted duties, resisting unto blood, striving against the sin of covenant-breaking;whereas now our call seems to be more clear to do it, by renewing thosecovenant-obligations. 7th, The covenants themselves have, as it were, aloud voice to call us, and all who own their obligation, to set aboutrenewing of them; they call by the justness and intrinsic goodness ofthe matter, which is of binding force by virtue of the law of God, priorto any covenant-tie, and by the holiness and excellency of the end, towit, the reformation and preservation of religion. Yea, the covenantseems to say to us, and to every true hearted son of the church ofScotland, as Job said in another case, "Have pity upon me, O myfriends, " &c. So says the covenant: Have pity upon me, all ye that haveany respect for me, for church and state have forsaken me. 

The _third_ thing proposed was to give some advices and directions forright managing the duty intended. The scope and substance whereofbriefly follows:

1st, Such as would make a covenant with God aright, so as the same maynever be broken nor yet forgotten, must labor to know if they be in goodterms with the God of the covenant, and with the Mediator of thecovenant; if they sincerely closed with the terms, and acquiesced to theproposals of the covenant of grace; this personal and particularacceptance of Christ in the new covenant being the only fountain ofacceptable entering into national covenants. Hence it concerns all thatwould be right Covenanters, to search and see how it may be betwixt Godand them, because 'tis but a profanation of the covenant to have thehand and tongue at it, and the heart from it: a well informed headwithout a reformed heart is not sufficient: a good opinion and liking ofthe covenant without a heart and affection to the covenant availsnothing in God's sight. 

2d, Such as would rightly renew covenant with God, must be well resolvedconcerning the motives leading them to covenant; which motives mustneither arise wholly from without, nor yet wholly from within, for ifthese motives arise wholly from without, it discovers a great deal oftreachery in the persons covenanting, as not beginning at the heart, notduly considering the inward case of the soul, but being moved from someexternal considerations, as a name amongst men, or affectation of zealfor public concerns, or such like; if they arise wholly from within itbetrays much weakness and lowness of spirit, as not being able at thesame time both to have a concern about the inward frame of the heart, and eternal state and condition of the soul, and likewise a zeal for thepublic good of the nation, and thriving of the work of God and kingdomof Christ. Both which interests ought to be in their due proportionbefore the eyes of a sound and real Covenanter; a right engager incovenant must be moved thereto, both from a due sense of the strengthand power of corruption within, and also from the consideration of thelowness of God's work through defection without. 

3d, A right covenanter must be well resolved concerning the terms ofthe covenant; that it excludes all coming and going, according to therevolutions of the times, and the ebbing and flowing of worldlyinterests: One that has given up his name to the Lord in covenant, andcalled himself by the name of Israel, must not, like the Samaritans, bean Israelite only in the time of Israel's prosperity, but he must be onein adversity too: The things engaged to in the covenant being of aneverlasting and permanent duration, in their nature, must be lastingalso in their observation. 

4th, A right renewer of covenant must be well resolved anent the costand expense of steadfast keeping of covenant. This should be firstcounted and deliberately resolved upon before engaging, lest afterpersons have engaged they want sufficiency to finish and fulfil theundertaking; and the Wise man assures us, it is better not to vow, thanto vow and not pay. The covenant may come to require the cost both ofdoing and suffering to finish it: there must, therefore, be a resolvingupon both, before engaging. 

5th, A right covenanter must be well resolved concerning the separatingnature, and the uniting tie and bond of the covenant, for as itdistinguished between friends and foes, so it unites covenanters amongstthemselves in duties, interests, and concerns. So that they become onesociety, having an identity of common duties and privileges, commoncrosses and rejoicings; and must rejoice together and weep together. 

He closed the Sermon with a two-fold advice or exhortation, to two sortsof persons. 

1st, To those who had some good opinion of, and some love for thecovenant, but yet were not resolved to join in covenant with us, becauseof many entanglements in a world; some estate, farm, or place ofemployment would be forfeited thereby; and hence, though the covenantbe, in their opinion, a lawful and commendable engagement, yet not forthem; they are in a course inconsistent with it, and could not beotherwise without foregoing some worldly accommodation. Those he advisedto consider the matter duly; not to engage without a resolution toforsake all interests that might interfere with covenanted duties; forto engage in the covenant, and yet to walk in a course opposite to it, would be exceedingly sinful; but to labour rather after old Jacob'sspirit and disposition, who looked to and trusted in the God of thecovenant when he had nothing else to look to--no outward encouragement, Gen. Xxxii. 10--He had but his staff in his hand when he passed overJordan, and the Lord made him to return with two bands. For, if a personcould attain Jacob's spirit, name and sirname would be lovely in theireyes, covenant and covenanting. 

2dly, To those who had put their hands to many sinful covenants inopposition to this covenant, and such as being in a natural andunrenewed state, in league with sin and Satan, and in covenant with helland death. Those he advised and earnestly obtested to break all theirsinful covenants, to loathe and abhor them, and be humbled for them: andto come and fall in with this covenant, to say in sincerity that whereasother lords have had too long dominion over them, henceforth they wouldmake mention only of the name of the Lord as their Lord; and that theirname should henceforth be _Jacob_, and their sirname _Israel_, and tosign and seal the same with their oath and subscription. Thisexhortation he enforced by the several calls to the work mentionedbefore, and by the two following motives: 1st, Because right enteringinto, and steadfast keeping of this covenant is the way to a holy life, and a holy life tends to make a holy nation; for, if we would observethis covenant sincerely, uniformly, and constantly, we could never be anunholy, and consequently, never an unhappy people; but it should bewritten as a motto upon our walls and gates, JEHOVAH SHAMMAI, _the Lordis there. _ 2d, Because the entering rightly into and due observance ofthis covenant would be our strength in the midst of all perplexingthoughts, whether arising from inward corruptions, or from outwardtemptations or dangers; the covenant yielded more satisfaction to Davidwhen dying than a royal diadem, a melodious harp, a puissant army, strong cities, a numerous offspring, or any earthly comforts could do, when, 2 Sam. Xxiii. 5, he supports himself with this, That "though hishouse was not so with God, " yet He had made with him "an everlastingcovenant, well-ordered in all things, and sure. " The keeping of thiscovenant had been to our nation a Samson's lock, whereby we should havebeen able to oppose all our enemies; whereas the breach of it hathopened a door to all sorts of enemies to creep in amongst us, and henceis verified that which the Lord has threatened his people with fortheir breach of covenant, Deut. Xxviii. 44, that the enemy shall be thehead, and his people the tail. 

Sermon being closed by prayer, the Acknowledgment of Sins was againread, as preparative to the engaging part; and the minister, in thefirst place, admonished all such as were guilty of such public steps ofdefection as are confessed in the Acknowledgment, to make full and freeconfession thereof before the congregation, with such a due sense of, and sorrow for these public sins, as might evidence a hearty design ofabandoning them and of adhering more closely to covenanted duties, whichaccordingly many did, both with respect to the perjurious oaths of thelate times and defections of the present. 

Because many have made a handle of this, above any other part of theaction, to reproach and render the whole of the work contemptible, calling it Jesuitic superstition, enthusiasm, advancing our ownconfessions into the room of Christ's satisfaction, and expecting pardonupon the score of superficial public acknowledgments:--therefore, tovindicate this part of the work from such groundless calumny, we desireit may be adverted. 1st, That this is a commanded duty, that such ashave violated the law and commandments of God, and being guilty of falseand unfaithful dealing in his covenant, should unfeignedly confess theiriniquity, which, if they do, God is faithful and just to forgive. 2d, That according to the nature of the offence, as the same has been actedsecretly or publickly, and is of a secret or public nature and concern, so it ought to be confessed. If the offence be in its nature and way ofperpetration a secret sin, known only to God and the person's ownconscience, secret repentance sufficeth: nor can the church require anything else, in regard such sins come not within the sphere of hercognizance;--but if the sin be public and national, or only personal, but publickly acted, so as the same has been stumbling, scandalous, andoffensive to others; then it is requisite, for the glory of God and goodof offended brethren, that the acknowledgment be equally public as theoffence. These are _first principles_ that will not need to be proved, but may be taken for granted. But, 3dly, To make it appear that it isconsonant to the practice of the godly to make public confession ofnational backsliding, we will advance two or three Scripture instances. Joshua, chap. Vii. 19, compared with verse 11, commands Achan, who hadbroken God's covenant which he commanded Israel, and so brought upon thewhole nation the Lord's anger, that he would give glory to God, bymaking confession to him. Whence it appears, that such sins as arenational in their consequences, and bring national judgments upon apeople, ought to be publickly confessed for turning away thesejudgments, and vindicating the honour of the Supreme Lawgiver, Ezra x. 1, 2--"Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping, andcasting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto himout of Israel a very great congregation of men, women, and children: forthe people wept very sore. " Verse 2d, And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassedagainst our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land. Verse 3d, Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God, to put awayall the wives, and such as are born of them. Verse 10, And Ezra thepriest stood up and said unto them, Ye have transgressed and takenstrange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. Verse 11, Nowtherefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do hispleasure. Verse 12, Then all the congregation answered, and said with aloud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. " Neh. Ix. 1--"Now, in thetwenty and fourth day of this month, the children of Israel wereassembled with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. Verse2d, And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, andstood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. Verse 3d, And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of thelaw of the Lord their God, one fourth part of the day, and anotherfourth part they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God. " Acts xix. 18--"And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed theirdeeds. "

These Scripture examples, as we conceive, do sufficiently evince, thatsuch public confession, for the substance of it, is not only expedient, but also necessary for such as would renew their covenant with God. Asfor some circumstances of the manner thereof, neither are we tovindicate them, nor can they justly be charged upon the whole of thosewho made those confessions; far less upon the minister, who, though heexhorted such as were guilty of scandalous defection, to glorify God bya public confession, yet obliged none thereunto _authoritatively_: andsuch as confessed the sin of their thoughts, or any other sins notscandalous or offensive to others; he exhorted to be serious in mourningover these things secretly before the Lord; but withal told them thatthese things are not the subject matter of such a public acknowledgment. Such as were unconcerned in their confessions, and seemed rather to doit from the examples of others, than from a real and deep sense of theirguiltiness before God (as it must not be dissembled, there were toomany, ) he exhorted to attain a sense of the things confessed, and posedtheir consciences, whether they were convinced of what they pretended toconfess. If any was so ignorant and weak in their apprehensions of thenature of right repentance and justification, as to put theiracknowledgment of sin in the room of Christ's satisfaction, and to relythereupon for peace and acceptance with God, as it is alleged they did, it must be owned that they wofully erred in a matter of the highestconsequence: but to affix this either upon all in general, or upon anyparticular person by name, is against the law of charity, and a judgingof the heart, which is not obvious to man, but only to God, and so anusurping of God's prerogative; wherefore it appears, that the objectingof these and other such like things against this duty, is the effect ofan impotent malice, and passion against the whole design of the work, which is too shrewd an evidence of a malignant spirit. 

Whereas, some have taken occasion to pass injurious reflections upon theminister, because he made confession and acknowledgment of his ownpersonal miscarriage; as though he did it with design to please thepeople, and to excite them to make confession of the things whereof theyhad no due sense, and that he should have proposed himself, as anexample to the people; therefore, to discover the falsehood of suchreports, we must declare plain matter of fact upon this head. Theminister did indeed acknowledge his own iniquities in general, withothers, and also particularly at the entry of the work; but without anydesign to please party or person; but only for the glory of God ashimself declared, which if any shall say was but hypocriticalself-seeking, we must remit them to the apostle's interrogation, toprepare an answer, _Who art thou, O man, that judgest?_ Neither did hesay that he did it to be an example to others, though, even in thatcase, he had not been to be blamed, seeing the best of God's saints, inpublic employment in church and state, have done the like in publicassemblies, as Josiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, in sacred record, and in ourchurch history, the Rev. John Davidson, who, at the renewing of thecovenant, March 30th, 1596, not only exhorted the brethren of theministry to a serious confession of their sins, but did also makeconfession of his own, and excited the rest by his example, as isrelated by Mr. Calderwood in his history of the church of Scotland, page317. Wherefore, seeing he has the command of God, and the most eminentof his saints for his warrant and precedent, he may be perfectlyunconcerned, what are the constructions that such persons as areindifferent either about national sins or judgments do put upon thisaction, The Acknowledgment of Sins being read, the minister prayed, confessingtherein the sins which had been publicly confessed in the saidAcknowledgment, and begging assistance to know and do the duties engagedunto, then the Engagement to Duties was likewise read in the audience ofthe congregation; where he showed that the design of these engagementswas to accommodate the covenants to our case and circumstances. Andadvised the mixed multitude to beware of entering into the covenant, unless they were duly resolved concerning the performing of the same, according as our fathers understood it, as the same was explained andapplied to the present condition of things in these engagements. Afterwhich the minister having prayed for the gracious presence andassistance of the divine Spirit, to enable us both to engage andperform; commanding those who were to renew their covenant to standupright, and hold up their right hands, he proceeded to theadministration of the oath, causing the people to elevate their hands atthe end of each article. The covenants being renewed, the ministeraddressed himself to those that had entered into covenant to thispurpose. Now, you who have renewed your covenant with God must notimagine that you may sit down upon your performance and rest yourselvesas though your work was perfected and finished; nay, but you mustconsider with yourselves that now it is but beginning; your race isbefore you, the greatest, part of the work is before your hand:covenanting is relative to performing; you must, therefore, meditateupon, and ponder your engagements more now than before; for now you haveput a new bond upon your souls, to walk with God in all the ways of newobedience. In order therefore to your performing, as you haveundertaken, I would put you in mind of several particulars, which youmust have much and frequently upon your hearts, and before your eyes. 

1st, You must know that a holy life is what becomes Covenanters; it isnot holiness in name, show and appearance, but holiness in reality, intruth and substance, that must be interwoven with all your actions andduties; though others should not look to conscience, yet you must;though others slight and neglect religion, you must by no means do it;you must put on a Joshua's generous and holy resolution, "That whateverothers do, you and your house will serve the Lord. " You must considerupon it, that well-set speeches concerning the covenant, is not what youare principally to study, but well-set hearts; you must shake offlaziness as well as hypocrisy. 

2d. You must be very regular in your walk; an uniform conversation inthe way of holiness is that which greatly adorns a Christian, andconsequently, a Covenanter. And if you endeavor such a regular course oflife, you will not shape yourselves according to the company you fallinto. As some have a religion for every company, so they have one forman and another for God, and will be more careful and afraid lest theirhypocrisy be discovered by men, than they are afraid to be made manifestto the Lord. But so it must not be with you who have renewed yourcovenant with the Lord: you must be the same in the closet as in thepublic assembly, and have a greater regard to the eye of Jehovah, andthe answer of a good conscience, than the approbation of fellowcreatures. 

3d, You mast be careful to perform all things which you have engaged to, within your sphere and station, but must not go without it: God is _aGod of order_, and as he hath placed the stars in their proper orbs forthe order and ornament of the universe, so hath he assigned toChristians their diverse stations, for the beauty, order, and union ofthe Church; Christ, the Captain of salvation, hath marshalled hissoldiers into rank and file, and it were a disordering of his army ifany should break their ranks. 

4th, You must slight no opportunity of pursuing the ends of yourcovenant; whatever it may cost you when the occasion offers, sufferingmust not deter you from it; and if the times be such now as spare bothyour persons and purses, yet you must not be sparing in your prayers forthe reviving of the work of God in the land, which is the very end ofcovenanting. 

5th, You must be careful that you do not forget the covenant; forgetting(as you heard before) is a step towards forsaking, and, therefore, youmust endeavour to have the covenant nearer to you than the Israeliteshad it--they had it written upon the posts of their doors, you must haveit written upon the tables of your hearts. 

6th, You must evidence a great deal of cheerfulness and patience underyour crosses, which may occur to you for your adherence to this yourcovenant; you must neither weaken your own hands in the discharge ofcovenanted duties, by drooping and discouragement under these crosses, nor stumble others, by repining at these losses, or by any carriage anddeportment under them that may import your repenting of what you havenow done. And because you are impotent and weak in yourselves, therefore, 7th, You must see that faith be in exercise in all your performances ofcovenanted duties. If this be wanting you will perform nothing topurpose, "for without faith it is impossible to please God. " By thisgrace you must keep up acquaintance with Christ, and have frequentrecourse to him, both for cleansing you from your defilements, when youbreak the covenant, and for strength to perform what you are obliged toby covenant; both for recovering grace, to raise you up when fallen, andfor preventing grace, to preserve you from falling or relapsing again. 

8th, That you may be the more active and vigilant in keeping covenant, you must labor to maintain a constant fear of breaking it, and have afixed impression of the tremendous threatening denounced againstcovenant-breakers; and you must know that all are such in God's account, who satisfy themselves with the form of godliness, denying the powerthereof. For this end read and ponder these and the like scriptures. 

Lev. Xxvi. 25, "And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge thequarrel of my covenant, and when ye are gathered together within yourcities, I will send the pestilence among you: and ye shall be deliveredinto the hand of the enemy. " Neh. V. 13--"So God shall shake out everyman from his house, and from his labor, that performeth not thispromise; even thus be he shaken out and emptied. " Jer. Xi. 3, "Cursed bethe man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, which I commandedyour fathers in the day that I brought them forth from the ironfurnace. " Ezek. Xvii. 15, "Shall he prosper? shall he escape that dothsuch things? or shall he break the covenant and be delivered?" Verse 18, "Seeing he hath despised the oath, by breaking the covenant, when lo, hehad given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall notescape. " Verse 19th, "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, as I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant that he hathbroken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. "

The minister having given these exhortations, closed the day's work withprayer, and singing a part of the ciii. Psalm from the 17th to the 19thverse. And having intimated the time of meeting for more immediatepreparation for the _holy communion_, putting the people in mind to bepreparing for the work, by fervent prayer and supplication, joined withserious and upright self-examination, he dismissed the congregationafter the usual form. 

This true and unbiassed account of the work in its design, progress andissue we have given, not to pre-occupy false reports only, which wecannot rationally suppose an entire freedom from, unless we fall in withthe opposers of our covenanted reformation, and to purchase the goodopinion and commendation of men at the rate of losing the favor of God. The main end of relating some of the more material heads, scope andargument of the _sermons_ is because there are some things handled inthem which behoved to have been inserted in this _preface_, to clear upour motives and call to the work, which could not be better done than asthe same was cleared then to the people. And this brief relation, though falling short of the matter then delivered, may serve to bringthings to the memories of those that found sweet satisfaction in hearingthem in the public. As for what may be the observations of censoriouscritics, either _of the sermons_ in particular, or of the _work_ ingeneral, we are perfectly unconcerned about them, seeing we equallyvalue their approbation or disapprobation; providing true matter of factbe not misrepresented, and so truth injuriously wronged. Nor are wewilling here to make any observation of our own concerning the issue andon-carrying of the work, though all the godly there present ought toobserve the Lord's gracious assistance and favor (so far as they foundthe same afforded to themselves, or displayed in others), lest we mayeither be in danger to diminish the grace of God by complaining, orincur the suspicion of self-flatterers by commending, but shall leave itto the judgment of such as were then present, and the candidinterpretation of others that may read this preceding account thereof. 

There have been many objections made against the _design, matter_ and_form_ of the _covenants_: more against subjects covenanting to defendthe purity and promote the reformation of religion, without the royalconcurrence of their sovereign princes; most of all against privatepersons entering into covenant, or renewing thereof, for the said endwithout the general concurrence of the representative body of the churchand state. Those which concern the former two, have been fully answeredby the greatest of our reformers, whose piety and learning set themsufficiently above the snarling censures of whatsoever cavilling pens ortongues: As for what are made against the last, they are also answeredbetter than we can pretend to, in the analysis upon the 19th chapter ofDeuteronomy, prefixed to the National and Solemn League and Covenantrenewed at Lesmahago, whereunto we refer the reader. Only because thatbook may not be at hand to every one that would desire these objectionssolved, we shall here transcribe the answers to two or three of the mostmaterial of these objections, making but small, if any, variation fromthe author's words. 

_Object_. 1. "In all the national covenants whereof we read inscripture, there was still the concurrence of either the sovereignauthority then in being, or at least of the Captains, Elders, Officers, and Heads of the tribes; And, therefore, it cannot be done by privatesubjects, without either royal or parliamentary authority. "

_Ans_. Certainly the obligations of the Covenant, held forth Deut. Xxix. 10, 11, 12, being so extensive as to reach all the members of church andcommonwealth, of all qualities, ranks, vocations, ages, sexes; is to beunderstood _positively_, that all these are obliged to enter intocovenant, but not _negatively_, that without any of these the covenantshould not be entered into. The motives mentioned are to the small aswell as to the great; and without them as well as with them; thearticles of it, and the keeping and doing them, are common to bothalike: The relation that the small and meaner sort of people have to God(the other contracting party) is the same that the nobles and great oneshave, and the privileges of it, to be established as a people untohimself and to have him for their God, do no more belong to the one thanthe other; And consequently the small may renew it, as well as thegreat; but not nationally to bind the whole nation formally, to whichindeed the concurrence of the representatives is necessary. As forprecedents of this practice, see them above, in the narrative of thesermons, [p. 9]. 

_Object_. 2. "This covenant having been disclaimed by the politicalfather, and made void by law, never again revived by authority ofparliament, nor the law rescinded by which it was declared notobligatory; is therefore of no binding force upon us, who have neverpersonally sworn it; and to renew it, and bring ourselves under the bondof it, when we are free, without the concurring or imposing authority ofour rulers, is high presumption in private subjects. "

_Ans_. If any engagements can be supposed binding to posterity, certainly national covenants to keep the commandments of God, and toadhere to his institutions, must be of that nature. It cannot be denied, that several obligations do bind to posterity; such as public promiseswith annexation of curses to breakers, Neh. V. 12, 13. Thus Joshua'sadjuration did oblige all posterity never to build Jericho, Josh. Vi. 26. And the breach of it did bring the curse upon Hiel the Bethelite, inthe days of Ahab. 2dly, Public vows: Jacob's vow, Gen. Xxviii. 21, didoblige all his posterity, virtually comprehended in him, Hos. Xii. 4. The Rechabites found themselves obliged to observe the vow of theirforefather Jonadab, Jer. Xxxv. 6, 14, for which they were rewarded andcommended. Public oaths do oblige posterity: Joseph took an oath of thechildren of Israel, to carry up his bones to Canaan, Gen. I. 25, whichdid oblige posterity some hundred years after. Exod. Xiii 19. Josh. Xxiv. 32. National covenants with men before God, do oblige posterity, as Israel's covenant with the Gibeonites, Josh. Ix. 15, 19. The breachwhereof was punished in the days of David, 2 Sam. Xxi. 1. EspeciallyNational Covenants with God, before men, about things moral andobjectively obliging, are perpetual; and yet more especially (as Grotiusobserves) when they are of an hereditary nature, i. E. When the subjectis permanent, the matter moral, the end good, and in the _form_ there isa clause expressing their perpetuity. 

All which ingredients of perpetual obligations are clear in Scotland'sCovenants, which are _national promises_, adjuring all ranks of persons, under a curse, to preserve and promote reformation according to the wordof God, and extirpate the opposite thereof. _National vows_, devotingthe then engaging, and succeeding generations to be the Lord's people, and walk in his ways. _National oaths_, solemnly sworn by all ranks, never to admit of innovations, or submit to usurpations, contradictoryto the word of God. _National covenants_, wherein the king, parliamentand people did covenant with each other, to perform their respectiveduties, in their several places and stations, inviolably to preservereligion and liberty: Yea, more, _national laws_, solemnly ratified bythe king and parliament, and made the foundation of the people's compactwith the king, at his inauguration: And, finally, they are _nationalcovenants with God_, as party contracting, to keep all the words of hiscovenant. The subject or parties contracting are permanent, to wit, theunchangeable God and the kingdom of Scotland, (the same may be said ofEngland and Ireland, ) which, whilst it remains a kingdom, is still underthe obligation of these covenants. The _matter_ is _moral_, antecedentlyand eternally binding, albeit there had been no formal covenant: the_ends_ of them perpetually good, to wit, _the defence of the truereformed religion, and the maintenance of the King's Majesty's personand estate_, (as is expressed in the National Covenant, ) _the glory ofGod, the advancement of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ; the honorand happiness of the King's Majesty and his posterity, and the publicliberty, safety, and peace of the kingdoms_, as it is expressed in theSolemn League. And in the _form_ of them there are clauses expressingtheir perpetuity. In the National covenant it is said, _that the presentand succeeding generations in this land are bound to keep the foresaidNational Oath and Subscription inviolable_. And in the Solemn League, Article 1, _That we and our posterity after us, may, as brethren, livein faith and love_. And Art. 5, _That they may remain conjoined in afirm peace and union to all posterity_. 

We may add also the sanctions of rewards and punishments descending toposterity, prove the obligation perpetual: Which is, alas! too visiblein our case as to the punishments inflicted for the breach of ourcovenants, and like to be further inflicted, if repentance prevent not;so that as we have been a taunting proverb, and an hissing, for theguilt, we may look to be made a curse and an execration for thepunishment of it. The distinction which some make use of to elude thisobligation, "That suppose they be materially bound, yet seeing they havenot sworn the covenants personally, they are not formally bound, " isboth false and frivolous; for our father's oath having all the aforesaidqualifications, binds us formally as an oath, though we have butvirtually sworn it; and whether the obligation be material or formal, implicit or explicit, it is all one in God's sight, if it be real, seeing even virtual obligations have frequently brought rewards andpunishments upon the head of the observers or breakers of them, as wellas formal. Seeing, then, the obligation of the covenant upon us isevident to a demonstration, it cannot, in justness, be called arebellious action against lawful authority, to declare in our stationthat we believe so much and resolve to practice accordingly. It isindeed too true that the wicked laws enacting the perpetual breaches ofthese covenants have never been rescinded; but seeing they are wickedand opposite to the commandment and covenant of the Lord, the supremelegislator, they are naturally void and null, and have been still soesteemed by us. 

_Object_. 3. "Albeit the National Covenant should be granted to bebinding upon us the people of Scotland, and, therefore, may be renewed:yet, to renew the Solemn League with England and Ireland, as matters nowstand, is ridiculous and impossible. "

_Ans_. This objection is partly answered before in the Sermons, [page14, ] and may be further cleared, if we consider, that the Solemn Leagueand Covenant may be taken under different respects, _either as a leagueamongst men_ or _a covenant between God and men_: in the former sense, as it notes a _league offensive and defensive_ made betwixt thecollective bodies of these kingdoms, it is certain it cannot be taken byus, who are but a poor insignificant handful of people, far from anyauthority, or influence in church or commonwealth; the collective andrepresentative body of the three kingdoms having basely abandoned theircovenant with God, and united in a sinful compact opposite thereto, sothat to make a league with England or Ireland in this sense, were toenter into a sinful confederacy with apostate covenant breakers; but inthe latter acceptation, as it is a covenant with God, not as a witnessonly, but also as a party contracting, there is no absurdity orimpossibility why Scotland, or any part thereof, may not renew it, obliging themselves by a solemn vow to perform what they are bound toantecedently by the law of God. And if it be considered as anassociation, it respects those only who now do, or hereafter shall, adhere unto it, whether here or in the other two kingdoms. Hence, thewords in the preamble of the Solemn League and Covenant, expressing theseveral ranks and the extent of the Covenanters, were not read at therenewing of it at Douglass, because we own ourselves to be under aleague with none but such as own the covenanted Reformation; these, andthese only, we heartily embrace as our colleagues, into the nearest anddearest bonds of Christian union and fellowship, according to thisLeague and Covenant. 

As the revolt of the ten tribes from the true religion and covenant ofthe Lord their God, hindered not the godly of Judah, nor the small partythat joined in the sincere worship of God, out of Ephraim and Manasseh, to renew their covenant under the auspicious reigns of Asa, Hezekiah, Josiah; Nor did the horrid apostacy of the Sectarian party in Englandimpede our ancestors to renew this Solemn League and Covenant inScotland, Anno, 1649. So neither can the defection of the generality ofthe three kingdoms, which is to be bewailed, if possible, with tears ofblood, hinder us from testifying our adherence to the covenant, orinvalidate what we have done therein. 

_Object_. 4. "Albeit the action should be granted to be for the main, lawful and right, yet it was most unseasonable to undertake it at such atime, when the parliament and ministry is composed of a set of men thatevidence no good affection to the present established church inScotland, who will be ready to interpret the action of a fewimmoderately and unseasonably zealous people, as the deed of the wholePresbyterians in Scotland, and to make a handle thereof against them, toimpose upon them some new burdens; or to take such measures as willeffectually put a stop to the more general renovation thereof throughoutthe land. "

In answer to this objection, we shall only desire the gentlemen thatmade it to remember, That now for the space of 24 years they have beencrying, the time is not come wherein we should set aboutcovenant-renewing; one while they have pretended that the time was notseasonable, because such as were in authority were friends to thechurch; and it would look like a suspecting of their integrity, to enterinto covenant for defence and reformation of religion, as if they wouldnot show themselves active enough for these ends, and prove anirritation to them to turn enemies to Presbyterian government; it wouldcause them to think the Presbyterians to be a people of indiscreet andungovernable zeal, and so disgust them at the establishment. Another, while they excuse themselves from this duty, because these in authorityare unfriendly to the Presbyterian establishment, they must walkcautiously now and manage prudently, lest they give any umbrage toJacobites and Episcopalians to represent them ill at court, and sooccasion the overthrow of the great security founded in the UnionTreaty. Formerly they needed not renew the covenant, because religionwas not in danger; now they dare not attempt to do it because it is;they must wait till a well-affected parliament and good counsellors setit out of danger again, and then they will not need to covenant for itssafety. These shifts are too shrewd discoveries of neutrality in thiscause. It is to be feared that the godly have too long been hoodwinkedwith such frivolous pretexts; and it is high time for every one thathas the low case of the work of God in the land at heart, to be awakenedto renew their covenant with God and keep the same. The motives andcalls to the work above mentioned will sufficiently, we hope, demonstrate the seasonableness of it. But if there was a defect as tothe seasonableness, it was not because it was so soon set about, butbecause it was no sooner. 

We shall not dwell any longer upon these and the like objections; therewill not want mountains of difficulties in the way till such time as theLord, coming by his Spirit in a day of his power, shall be pleased tolevel them and say, "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubabelthou shalt become a plain. " In that day (we doubt not) there shall be awilling people to enter covenant with the Lord, even a perpetualcovenant that shall not be forgotten; but, in the mean time, they woulddo well to consider the hazard they bring themselves into who wilfullyraise objections against the covenant, because they are unwilling toenter into it, or be bound by it. 

It may be some will desiderate an account of the other _solemn holyaction_ that followed upon the back of this, in regard there were somecircumstances in it not so ordinary in this church in former times, because of the paucity of public instruments; but neither do we think itneedful to give any large account of it, nor will it fall so properlyinto this preface, which concerneth only national covenanting, and, itis likely the reader's patience is too far transgressed upon already;nor was there any _substantial or formal_ difference betwixt it and thecomely order of the Church of Scotland observed in our purest times ofreformation in the celebration of that sacred ordinance, except what inthe form arose from the circumstances we were in, and the reason nowmentioned. The work was awful and great, the persons employed about itfew, insignificant in their own eyes, as well as mean in the eyes ofothers; and hence the Lord's power and grace was the more conspicuous, who (we must not dissemble it) was present to the sensible experience ofmany, sealing instruction upon the hearts of some, and granting, strengthening, and confirming grace to others, for which he ought tohave all the glory. 

But because there has been, as we are informed, no small clamor raisedanent some expressions used in debarring the ignorant and scandalousfrom the holy table of the Lord; _That the Minister should haveunreasonably and presumptuously excommunicated the Queen and Parliament, and the whole Ministers of the established church of Scotland_;Therefore, we shall here insert the very words relating to that affair, as they were uttered by him without any alteration. In warning theignorant, scandalous and profane to beware of presuming to approach tothe holy table of the Lord, the minister observed (as the manner is) theorder of the decalogue, where, in the sins forbidden in the secondcommandment, as they are enumerated by the very Reverend the Assembly ofDivines sitting at Westminster, in their humble advice concerning aLarger Catechism, we find these amongst others--"All devising, counseling, commanding, using, and any ways approving any religiousworship not instituted by God himself, tolerating a false religion. ----All superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or receivedby tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever. " Hence, heexpressed himself in these words--"I excommunicate and debar from thisholy table of the Lord, all devisers, commanders, users, or approvers ofany religious worship not instituted by God in his Word, all toleratorsand countenancers thereof; and by consequence I debar and excommunicatefrom this holy table of the Lord, Queen and Parliament, and all underthem, who spread and propagate or tolerate a false superstitiousworship, ay and until they repent, " And in relation to the opposing ofthe covenants and work of reformation, he had these words--"Iexcommunicate and debar all who are opposers of our covenants andcovenanted Reformation, and all that have taken oaths contrary to ourcovenants, and such particularly as are takers of the Oath ofAbjuration, whether Ministers or others, until they repent. "

That this was no presumptuous and rebellious arrogance is evident, because the sins for which he debarred Queen and Parliament, and allothers guilty of them, are proven from Scripture to be gross breaches ofGod's law, and every violation thereof persisted in without repentance, is a sufficient cause (in the opinion of Protestant Divines) to debarand exclude from the Lord's table. Now, it is certain that even thoseministers of the established church who make such obloquy against thework for this particular, do the same thing in effect every time thatthey administrate this ordinance, for (as can be proved if they pleaseto require it, or do deny it, ) they excommunicate from the table allguilty of such sins as are forbidden in the second commandment, according as they are specified in the forsaid Catechism; and so, by aninfallible consequence, they excommunicate the Queen and Parliament, whoare grossly guilty of the most of them, only they have not the courageingenuously and freely to own and express the consequence, but that itfollows natively and necessarily from the premises, even according totheir own principles, they will never be able to disprove. 

Now, Reader, thou hast a just and true account as far as was necessary, of our poor and weak endeavours in this matter, which we hope will, atleast, stand as a witness and testimony (without arrogance we desire tospeak it) against the apostacy of some and indifferency of others, whoshould have been to us as the _he-goats before the flock_ in paving ourway to Zion, but are rather _making to themselves captains_ to carry usback to Babylon, and pollute our land with idolatry and superstition;and, as a pledge to posterity that the Lord has not yet utterly desertedthe land, though we rather wish, (if so it may consist with his holypurpose, _who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working_) that itmight tend to excite, some to bethink "whence they have fallen, andrepent, and to do their first works, lest the Lord come quickly, andutterly remove his candlestick from us:" and engage them to renew thesecovenants in a more public way, and prosecute the ends of them with morezeal, fidelity, and constancy, "that the Lord may yet delight to dwellamongst us, make our judges peace, and our exactors righteousness, " andmake us to be called _Hephzibah_, and our land _Beulah_. 

The reader may please to cast his eye upon the following passages, quoted from the writings of some of the ablest divines, wherewith thesekingdoms have been blessed, since the first reformation from Popery;wherein he will see, how far different an opinion they have entertainedof the Covenant, from what are the thoughts of the learnedLatitudinarians of our age. 

_A Testimony to the truth of_ JESUS CHRIST _and to our Solemn Leagueand Covenant, &c. , subscribed by the Ministers of Christ, within theprovince of London, December_ 14, 1649 Head IV. 

"In order unto reformation and defence of religion within these threekingdoms, we shall never forget, how solemnly and cheerfully the SolemnLeague and Covenant was sworn with hands lifted up to the most highGod. --We were, and are abundantly satisfied, that our Solemn League andCovenant of September 27, 1643, is not only warrantable for the matterof it and manner of entering into it, but also of such excellency andimportance, --That it will be very hard in all points to parallel it;and, therefore, as we did sincerely swear this covenant with God, withall our heart, and with all our soul, much rejoicing at the oath with atrue intention to perform it, and not for promoting any politic design;so we do believe and profess to the world that we still stand as firmlyengaged to the real performance of it, and that it is not in the powerof any person or persons on earth to dispense with it or absolve fromit. "

_The harmonious consent of the Ministers of the county PalatineLancaster with their Reverend Brethren the Ministers of the province ofLondon. _ Head V. 

"We shall never forget how solemn it (the Solemn League and Covenant)was sworn, and what rejoicing there was at the oath, sundry at thetaking of it weeping for joy; and when the Covenant was thus taken, wethought with ourselves, that surely now the crown is set upon England'shead: We judged the day of entering into this Covenant to be England'scoronation-day, as it was the day of the gladness of our hearts. "

_Mr. Philip Nye's Exhortation at the taking of the Covenant, September29th, 1649, p. 2. _

"This Oath is such, and in the matter and consequence of it of suchconcernment, as I can truly say, it is worthy of us, yea, of all thekingdoms of the world; for it is swearing fealty and allegiance toChrist the King of kings, and giving up of all these kingdoms which arehis inheritance, to be subdued more to his throne, and ruled more by hissceptre, upon whose shoulders the government is laid. "

 * * * * *

_THE NATIONAL COVENANT, OR THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE KIRK OFSCOTLAND_;

Subscribed at first by the King's Majesty and his Household, in the yearof God 1580; Thereafter, by persons of all ranks, in the year 1581; ByOrdinance of the Lords of the Secret Council, and Acts of the GeneralAssembly. Subscribed again by all sorts of persons in the year 1590, bya new Ordinance of Council, at the desire of the General Assembly, witha Band for the maintenance of the true religion, and the King's person:And subscribed in the year 1638, by the Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers and Commons, then under-subscribing; together withtheir resolution and promises for the causes after specified, tomaintain the True Religion, and the King's Majesty, according to theConfession aforesaid and Acts of Parliament; And upon the supplicationof the General Assembly to his Majesty's High Commissioner, and theLords of his Majesty's honorable Privy Council. Subscribed again in theyear 1639, by Ordinance of Council, and Acts of General Assembly, &c. , &c. The Tenor whereof here followeth. 

We all, and every one of us underwritten, protest, that after long anddue examination of our own consciences in matters of true and falsereligion, we are now thoroughly resolved in the truth by the Word andSpirit of God: And, therefore, we believe with our hearts, confess withour mouths, subscribe with our hands and constantly affirm before Godand the whole world, that this only is the true Christian faith andreligion pleasing God, revealed to the world by the preaching of theblessed evangel; and is received, believed, and defended by many andsundry notable kirks and realms, but chiefly by the _Kirk of Scotland, and sometimes by the King's Majesty, and the three estates of thisrealm_, as God's eternal truth and only ground of our salvation, as moreparticularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith, establishedand publickly confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliaments, and now of a longtime have been openly professed by the King's Majesty, and whole body ofthis realm, both in burgh and land. To the which Confession and form ofreligion, we willingly agree in our own consciences, in all points, asunto God's undoubted truth and verity, grounded only upon his writtenword. And, therefore, we abhor and detest all contrary religion anddoctrine; but chiefly all kind of Papistry in general, and particularheads, even as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God, andKirk of Scotland. But in special we detest and refuse the usurpedauthority of that Roman Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God, upon theKirk, the civil Magistrate, and consciences of men: All his tyrranouslaws made upon indifferent things against our Christian liberty: Hiserroneous doctrine against the sufficiency of the written word, theperfection of the law, the offices of Christ, and his blessed evangel:His corrupted doctrine concerning original sin, our natural inabilityand rebellion to God's law, our justification by faith only, ourimperfect sanctification and obedience to the law; the nature, number, and use of the holy sacraments: His five bastard sacraments; with allhis rites, ceremonies, and false doctrine, added to the ministration ofthe true sacraments, without the Word of God: His cruel judgment againstinfants departing without the sacrament: His absolute necessity ofbaptism: His blasphemous opinion of transubstantiation, or real presenceof Christ's body in the elements, and receiving of the same by thewicked, or bodies of men: His dispensations with solemn oaths, perjuries, and degrees of marriage forbidden in the Word; His crueltyagainst the innocent divorced: His devilish mass: His blasphemouspriesthood: His profane sacrifice for the sins of the dead and thequick: His canonization of men; calling upon angels or saints departed;worshipping of imagery, relics and crosses; dedicating of kirks, altars, days; Vows to creatures: His purgatory, prayers for the dead; praying orspeaking in a strange language; with his processions and blasphemouslitany, and multitude of advocates or mediators: His manifold orders, auricular confession: His desperate and uncertain repentance; Hisgeneral and doubtsome faith: His satisfactions of men for their sins:His justification by works, _opus operatum_, works of supererogation, merits, pardons, peregrinations and stations: His holy water, baptizingof bells, conjuring of spirits, crossing, earning, anointing, conjuring, hallowing of God's good creatures, with the superstitious opinion joinedtherewith: His worldly monarchy, and wicked hierarchy: His three solemnvows, with all his shavellings of sundry sorts: His erroneous and bloodydecrees made at Trent, with all the subscribers and approvers of thatcruel and bloody bond, conjured against the Kirk of God. 

And finally, we detest all his vain allegories, rites, signs, andtraditions brought into the Kirk, without or against the Word of God anddoctrine of this true reformed Kirk; to the which we join ourselveswillingly, in doctrine, faith, religion, discipline, and use of the holysacraments, as lively members of the same in Christ our head: Promisingand swearing by the _Great Name of the Lord our God_, that we shallcontinue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this kirk, and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power, all thedays of our lives, under the pains continued in the law and danger bothof body and soul, in the day of God's fearful judgment. And, seeing thatmany are stirred up by Satan and that Roman Antichrist, to promise, swear, subscribe, and for a time use the holy sacraments in the Kirkdeceitfully against their own consciences, minding thereby, first, underthe external cloak of religion, to corrupt and subvert secretly God'strue religion within the Kirk, and afterwards, when the time may serve, to become open enemies and persecutors of the same, under vain hope ofthe Pope's dispensation devised against the Word of God, to his greaterconfusion, and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus. 

We, therefore, willing to take away all suspicion of hypocrisy, and ofsuch double dealing with God and his Kirk, protest, and call _theSearcher of all hearts for witness_, that our minds and hearts do fullyagree with this our _Confession, Promise, Oath_, and _Subscription_, sothat we are not moved with any worldly respect, but are persuaded onlyin our own consciences, through the knowledge and love of God's truereligion, imprinted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as we shall answerto him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. And because we perceive that the quietness and stability of our religionand kirk, doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of [the[5]King's Majesty, ] as upon a comfortable instrument of God's mercy, granted to this country, for the maintaining of this kirk, andministration of justice amongst us, we protest and promise with ourhearts, under the same oath, hand-write, and pains, that we shall defend[his[6] person and authority, ] with our goods, bodies, and lives, inthe defence of Christ's evangel, liberties of our country, ministrationof justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within thisrealm, or without, we desire our God to be a strong and mercifuldefender to us in the day of our death, and coming of our Lord JesusChrist. To whom with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all honour andglory eternally. Amen. 

Likeas, many Acts of Parliament not only in general do abrogate, annul, and rescind all laws, statutes, acts, constitutions; canons, civil ormunicipal, with all other ordinances and practique penalties whatsoever, made in prejudice of the true religion and professors thereof; or of thetrue kirk-discipline, jurisdiction and freedom thereof; or in favor ofidolatry and superstition; or of the Papistical kirk; as Act. 3, Act. 31, Parl. 1; Act. 23, Parl. 11; Act. 114, Parl. 12, of King James VI. That Papistry and superstition may be utterly suppressed, according tothe intention of the Acts of Parliament, repeated in the 5th Act, Parl. 20, King James VI. And to that end they ordain all Papists and prieststo be punished with manifold civil and ecclesiastical pains, asadversaries to God's true religion, preached, and by law establishedwithin this realm, Act 24, Parl. 11, King James VI. ; as common enemiesto all Christian government, Act 18 Parl. 16, King James VI. ; asrebellers and gainstanders of our sovereign Lord's authority, Act 47Parl. 8, King James VI. ; and as idolaters, Act 104, Parl. 7, King JamesVI. But also in particular, by and attour the Confession of Faith, doabolish and condemn the Pope's authority and jurisdiction out of thisland, and ordain the maintainers thereof to be punished, Act 2, Parl. 1;Act 51 Parl. 3; Act 106, Parl. 7; Act 114, Parl. 12, King James VI. , docondemn the Pope's erroneous doctrine, or any other erroneous doctrinerepugnant to any of the articles of the true and Christian religion, publickly preached, and by law established in this realm; and ordain thespreaders and makers of books, or libels, or letters, or writs of thatnature, to be punished, Acts 46, Parl. 3; Act 106, Parl. 7; Act 24, Par. 11, K. James VI. Do condemn all baptism conform to the Pope's kirk, andthe idolatry of the mass; and ordains all sayers, wilful hearers, concealers of the mass, the maintainers and resetters of the priests, Jesuits, trafficking Papists, to be punished without any exception orrestriction, Act 5, Parl. 1; Act 120, Parl. 12; Act 134, Parl. 13; Act139, Parl. Act 1, Parl. 19; Act 5, Parl. 20, King James VI. , do condemnall erroneous books and writs, containing erroneous doctrine against thereligion presently professed or containing superstitious rites andceremonies Papistical, whereby the people are greatly abused; andordains the home-bringers of them to be punished, Act 25, Parl. 11, KingJames VI. , do condemn the monuments and dregs of the bygone idolatry, asgoing to crosses, observing the festival days of Saints and othersuperstitious and Papistical rites, to the dishonour of God, contempt oftrue religion, and fostering of great error among the people; andordains the users of them to be punished for the second fault asidolaters, Act 104, Parl. 7, King James VI. 

Likeas, many acts of parliament are conceived for maintenance of God'strue Christian religion, and the purity thereof in doctrine andsacraments of the true church of God, the liberty and freedom thereof inher national synodical assemblies, Presbyteries, sessions, policy, discipline, and jurisdiction thereof, as that purity of religion andliberty of the church was used, professed, exercised, preached, andconfessed according to the reformation of religion in this realm. As forinstance, the 99th Act, Parl. 7, Act 23, Parl. 11; Act 114, Parl. 12;Act 160, Parl. 13, King James VI. , ratified by the 4th Act of KingCharles. So that the 6th Act, Parl. 1, and 68th Act, Parl. 6, of KingJames VI. , in the year of God 1579, declares the ministers of theblessed evangel, whom God of his mercy had raised up, or hereaftershould raise, agreeing with them that then lived in doctrine andadministration of the sacraments, and the people that professed Christas he was then offered in the evangel and doth communicate with the holysacraments, (as in the reformed kirks of this realm they were publicklyadministrate) according to the Confession of Faith, to be the true andholy kirk of Christ Jesus within this realm, and decerns and declaresall and sundry who either gainsay the word of the evangel, received andapproved as the heads of the Confession of Faith, professed inparliament in the year of God 1560, specified also in the firstParliament of King James VI, and ratified in this present parliament;more particularly do specify, or that refuse the administration of theholy sacraments as they were then administered, to be no members of thesaid kirk within this realm, and true religion presently professed, solong as they keep themselves so divided from the society of Christ'sbody; and the subsequent Act 69, Parl. 6. Of King James VI. Declares, that there is none other face of kirk, nor other face of religion, thanwas presently at that time by the favour of God established within thisrealm, which therefore is ever styled, _God's true religion--Christ'strue religion--the true and Christian religion--and a perfect religion_;which, by manifold acts of parliament, all within this realm are boundto subscribe the articles thereof, the Confession of Faith, to recantall doctrine and errors repugnant to any of the said articles, Act 4 and9, Parl. 1; Act 45, 46, 47, Parl. 3; Act 71, Parl. 6; Act 106, Parl. 7;Act 24, Parl. 11; Act 123, Parl. 12; Act 194 and 197, Parl. 14, of KingJames VI. And all magistrates, sheriffs, &c. On the one part, areordained to search, apprehend, and punish all contraveners; forinstance, Act 5, Parl. 1; Act 104, Parl. 7; Act 25, Parl. 11, King JamesVI. ; and that notwithstanding of the King's Majesty's licence to thecontrary, which are discharged and declared to be of no force, in so faras they tend in any ways to the prejudice and hinder of the execution ofthe acts of parliament against Papists and adversaries of true religion, Act 106, Parl. 7, King James VI. On the other part, in the 47th Act, Parl. 3, of King James VI. It is declared and ordained, seeing the causeof God's true religion and his highness' authority are so joined, as thehurt of the one is common to both; and that none shall be reputed asloyal and faithful subjects to our sovereign lord or his authority, butbe punishable as rebellers and gainstanders of the same, who shall notgive their confession, and make their profession of the said truereligion, and that they who, after defection, shall give the confessionof their faith of new, they shall promise to continue therein in timecoming, to maintain our sovereign lord's authority, and at the uttermostof their power to fortify, assist, and maintain the true preachers andprofessors of Christ's evangel against whatsoever enemies andgainstanders of the same; and namely, against all such (of whatsoevernation, estate, or degree they be, ) that have joined and boundthemselves, or have assisted, or assist to set forward, and execute thecruel decrees of Trent, contrary to the preachers and true professors ofthe Word of God, which is repeated, word by word, in the articles ofpacification at Perth, the 23rd of February, 1572; approved byParliament, the last of April, 1573; ratified in Parliament, 1587; andrelated, Act 123, Parl. 12, of King James VI. , with this addition, thatthey are bound to resist all treasonable uproars and hostilities thatare raised against the true religion, the King's Majesty, and the trueprofessors. 

Likeas all lieges are bound to maintain the King's Majesty's royalperson, and authority, the authority of Parliaments, without the whichneither any laws, or lawful judicatories can be established, Act 130, Act 131, Parl. 8, K. James VI. And the subjects' liberties, who oughtonly to live and be governed by the King's laws, the common laws of thisrealm allenarly, Act 48, Parl. 3, K. James I. Act 79, Parl. 6, K. JamesIV. Repeated in the Act 131, Parl. 8, K. James VI. Which, if they beinnovated or prejudged, the commission anent the union of the twokingdoms of Scotland and England, which is the sole Act of the 17 Parl. Of K. James VI. Declares such confusion would ensue, as this realm couldbe no more a free monarchy, because by the fundamental laws, ancientprivileges, offices and liberties of this kingdom, not only the princelyauthority of his Majesty's royal descent hath been these many agesmaintained, but also the people's security of their lands, livings, rights, offices, liberties, and dignities preserved, and therefore forthe preservation of the said true religion, laws and liberties of thiskingdom, it is statute by the 8 Act, Parl. 1, repeated in the 99 Act, Parl. 7, ratified in the 23 Act, Parl. 11, and 114 Act, Parl. 12, of K. James VI. And 4 Act K. Charles I. That all kings and princes at theircoronation and reception of their princely authority, shall make theirfaithful promise by their solemn oath in the presence of the eternalGod, that enduring the whole time of their lives; they shall serve thesame eternal God to the uttermost of their power, according as he hathrequired in his most holy word, contained in the Old and New Testaments. And according to the same word, shall maintain the true religion ofChrist Jesus, the preaching of his holy word, the due and rightministration of the sacraments now received and preached within thisrealm (according to the Confession of Faith) and shall abolish andgainstand all false religion contrary to the same, and shall rule thepeople committed to their charge, according to the will and command ofGod, revealed in his foresaid word, and according to the laudable lawsand constitutions received in this realm, no ways repugnant to the saidwill of the eternal God; and shall procure, to the uttermost of theirpower, to the kirk of God and whole Christian people, true and perfectpeace in all time coming; and that they shall be careful to root out oftheir empire all heretics, and enemies to the true worship of God, whoshall be convicted by the true kirk of God, for the foresaid crimes, which was also observed by his Majesty[7] at his coronation inEdinburgh, 1633, as may be seen in the order of the coronation. 

In obedience to the commandment of God, conform to the practice of thegodly in former times, and according to the laudable example of ourworthy and religious progenitors, ----which was warranted also by Act ofCouncil, commanding a general bond to be made and subscribed by hisMajesty's subjects of all ranks, for two causes: one was, for defendingthe true religion as it was then reformed, and is expressed in theConfession of faith above-mentioned, and a former large Confessionestablished by sundry acts of lawful General Assemblies, and ofParliament, unto which it hath relation, set down in public Catechisms, and which had been for many years (with a blessing from heaven) preachedand professed in this kirk and kingdom as God's undoubted truth, grounded only upon his written Word. The other cause was, formaintaining the King's Majesty, his person, and estate; the true worshipof God and the King's authority being so straitly joined as that theyhad the same friends and common enemies and did stand and fall together;and finally, being convinced in our minds, and confessing with ourmouths, that the present and succeeding generations in this land arebound to keep the foresaid national oath and subscription inviolable. We, ------------under subscribing, considering divers times before, andespecially at this time, the danger of the true reformed religion--------, and of the public peace of the kingdom; by the manifoldinnovations and evils generally contained and particularly mentioned, [in supplications, complaints, and protestations, [8]] do herebyprofess, and before God, his angels, and the world, solemnly declare, that with our whole hearts we agree and resolve, all the days of ourlife, constantly to adhere unto and defend the foresaid true religion;and (forbearing the practice of all novations already introduced in thematters of the worship of God, or approbation of the corruptions of thepublic government of the kirk, or civil places and power of kirkmen, [9]till they be tried and allowed in free assemblies and in Parliaments, )to labor by all means lawful to recover the purity and liberty of thegospel, as it was established and professed before the foresaidnovations; and because, after due examination, we plainly perceive, andundoubtedly believe, that the evils contained in our [supplications, complaints, and protestations, [10]] have no warrant of the Word of God;are contrary to the articles of the foresaid Confessions, to theintention and meaning of the blessed reformers of religion in this land, to the above-written Acts of Parliament, and do sensibly tend to there-establishing of the Popish religion and tyranny, and to thesubversion and ruin of the true reformed religion, and of our liberties, laws and estates. We also declare, that the foresaid confessions are tobe interpreted, and ought to be understood of the foresaid novations andevils, no less than if every one of them had been expressed in theforesaid Confessions, and that we are obliged to detest and abhor them, amongst other particular heads of Papistry abjured therein; and, therefore, from the knowledge and conscience of our duty to God, [to ourKing and country, [11]] without any worldly respect or inducement, so faras human infirmity will suffer, wishing a further measure of the graceof God for this effect, we promise and swear by the _great name of theLord our God_, to continue in the profession and obedience of theforesaid religion; that we shall defend the same, and resist all thesecontrary errors and corruptions, according to our vocation, and to theuttermost of that power that God hath put in our hands, all the days ofour life; and, in like manner, with the same heart, we declare beforeGod and men, that we have no intention nor desire to attempt any thingthat may turn to the dishonour of God, or to the diminution of [theKing's[12]] greatness and authority; but on the contrary, we promise andswear, that we shall, to the uttermost of our power, with our means andlives, and to the defence of [our dread sovereign, the King's Majesty, his person and authority[13]] in the defence and preservation of theforesaid true religion, liberties, and laws of the kingdom; as also, tothe mutual defence and assistance every one of us of another, in thesame cause of maintaining the true religion [his Majesty's[14]]authority, with our best counsel, our bodies, means, and whole power, against all sorts of persons whatsoever. So that whatsoever shall bedone to the least of us for that cause, shall be taken as done to us allin general, and to every one of us in particular; that we shall, neitherdirectly nor indirectly, suffer ourselves to be divided or withdrawn, bywhatsoever suggestion, allurement, or terror, from this blessed andloyal conjunction; nor shall cast in any let or impediment that may stayor hinder any such resolution, as by common consent shall be found toconduce for so good ends;--but, on the contrary, shall, by all lawfulmeans labour to further and promote the same, and if any such dangerousand divisive motions be made to us by word or write, we, and every oneof us, shall either suppress it, or if need be, shall incontinent makethe same known that it may be timeously obviated; neither do we fear thefoul aspersions of rebellion, combination, or what else our adversariesfrom their craft and malice would put upon us, seeing what we do is sowell warranted, and ariseth from an unfeigned desire to maintain thetrue worship of God, the majesty of [[15] our King, ] and peace of thekingdom, for the common happiness of ourselves and the posterity. 

And because we cannot look for a blessing from God upon our proceedings, except with our profession and subscription, we join such a life andconversation as beseemeth Christians who have renewed their covenantwith God: We, therefore, faithfully promise, for ourselves, ourfollowers, and all other under us, both in public, in our particularfamilies and personal carriage, to endeavor to keep ourselves within thebounds of Christian liberty, and to be good examples to others of allgodliness, soberness and righteousness, and of every duty we owe to Godand man. And that this our union and conjunction may be observed withoutviolation, we call the living God, the searcher of our hearts, towitness, who knoweth this to be our sincere desire and unfeignedresolution, as we shall answer to Jesus Christ, in the great day, andunder the pain of God's everlasting wrath and of infamy, and loss of allhonour and respect in this world: Most humbly beseeching the Lord tostrengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end, and to bless our desiresand proceedings with a happy success, that religion and righteousnessmay nourish in the land, to the glory of God, the honour of [ourKing[16]] and peace and comfort of us all. In witness whereof we havesubscribed with our hands all the premises, &c. 

The article of this covenant, which was at first subscriptionreferred[17] to the determination of the General Assembly, being nowdetermined, and thereby the five articles of Perth, the government ofthe Kirk by Bishops, the civil places and power of kirkmen upon thereasons and grounds contained in the Acts of the General Assembly, declared to be unlawful within this kirk, we subscribe according to thedetermination foresaid. 

 * * * * *

_THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, FOR REFORMATION AND DEFENCE OFRELIGION, ETC_. 

We, having before our eyes the glory of God, and the advancement of thekingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the honour and happinessof [the[18] King's Majesty and his posterity] and the true publicliberty, safety, and peace of the kingdoms, wherein every one's privatecondition is included; and calling to mind the treacherous and bloodyplots, conspiracies, attempts and practices of the enemies of Godagainst the true religion and professors thereof in all places, especially in these three kingdoms, ever since the reformation ofreligion; and how much their rage, power, and presumption are of late, and at this time increased and exercised, whereof the deplorable estateof the church and kingdom of Ireland, the distressed estate of thechurch and kingdom of England, and the dangerous estate of the churchand kingdom of Scotland, are present and public testimonies. We have nowat last [[19] after other means of supplication, remonstrance, protestation and suffering] for the preservation of ourselves and ourreligion from utter ruin and destruction, according to the commendablepractice of these kingdoms in former times, and the example of God'speople in other nations, after mature deliberation, resolved anddetermined to enter into a mutual and Solemn League and Covenant:Wherein we all subscribe, and each one of us for himself, with our handslifted up to the Most High God, do swear--

1. That we shall sincerely, really, and constantly, through the grace ofGod, endeavour in our several places and callings, the preservation ofthe reformed religion in the church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, against our common enemies; the reformationof religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, discipline and government, according to the Word of God, andthe example of the best reformed churches; and shall endeavour to bringthe churches of God in the three kingdoms, to the nearest conjunctionand uniformity in religion, Confession of Faith, Form ofChurch-government, Directory for Worship and Catechizing; that we andour posterity after us, may, as brethren, live in faith and love, andthe Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us. 

2. That we shall, in like manner, without respect of persons, endeavorthe extirpation of Popery, Prelacy (that is, church government byarch-bishops, bishops, their chancellors and commissaries, deans, deansand chapters, archdeacons, and all other ecclesiastical officersdepending on that hierarchy), superstition, heresy, schism, profaneness, and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine and thepower of godliness; lest we partake in other men's sins, and thereby bein danger to receive of their plagues; and that the Lord may be one, and his name one in the three kingdoms. 

3. We shall, with the same sincerity, reality and constancy, in ourseveral vocations, endeavor with our estates and lives mutually topreserve the rights and privileges of the parliaments[20] and theliberties of the kingdoms; and to preserve and defend [the King's[21]Majesty's] person and authority, in the preservation and defence of thetrue religion and liberties of the kingdoms; that the world may bearwitness with our consciences of our loyalty, and that we have nothoughts or intentions to diminish [his[22] Majesty's] just power andgreatness. 

4. We shall also with all faithfulness endeavor the discovery of allsuch as have been, or shall be, incendiaries, malignants, or evilinstruments, by hindering the reformation of religion, dividing [the[23]King] from his people, or one of the kingdoms from another, or makingany faction or parties amongst the people, contrary to this League andCovenant, that they may be brought to public trial, and receive condignpunishment, as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve, orthe supreme judicatories of both kingdoms respectively, or others havingpower from them for that effect, shall judge convenient. 

5. And whereas the happiness of a blessed peace between these kingdoms, denied in former times to our progenitors, was by the good providence ofGod granted unto [[24]us] and--concluded, and settled by bothparliaments, We shall, each one of us, according to our place andinterest, endeavor that they may be and remain conjoined[25] in a firmpeace and union to all posterity, and that justice may be done upon thewilful opposers thereof, in manner expressed in the precedent article. 

6. We shall also according to our places and callings this common causeof religion, liberty and peace of the kingdoms, assist and defend allthose that enter into this league and covenant, in the maintaining andpursuing thereof; and shall not suffer ourselves, directly orindirectly, by whatsoever combination, persuasion or terror, to bedivided and withdrawn from this blessed union and conjunction, whetherto make defection to the contrary part, or to give ourselves to adetestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so muchconcerneth the glory of God, the good of the kingdoms, and honor of[the[26] King;] but shall all the days of our lives zealously andconstantly continue therein, against all opposition, and promote thesame according to our power, against all lets and impedimentswhatsoever; and what we are not able ourselves to suppress or overcome, we shall reveal and make known, that it may be timely prevented orremoved; all of which we shall do as in the sight of God. 

And because these kingdoms are guilty of many sins, and provocationsagainst God and his Son Jesus Christ, as is too manifest by our presentdistresses and dangers, the fruits thereof; we profess and declarebefore God and the world, our unfeigned desire to be humbled for our ownsins, and for the sins of these kingdoms, especially that we have not, as we ought, valued the inestimable benefit of the gospel, that we havenot labored for the purity and power thereof, and that we have notendeavored to receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of him inour lives, which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so muchabounding amongst us; and our true and unfeigned purpose, desire andendeavor for ourselves, and all others under our power and charge, bothin public and private, in all duties we owe to God and man, to amend ourlives, and each one to go before another in the example of a realreformation; that the Lord may turn away his wrath, and heavyindignation, and establish these churches and kingdoms in truth andpeace. And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God, thesearcher of all hearts, with a true intention to perform the same, as weshall answer at the great day, when the secrets of all hearts shall bedisclosed; most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his HolySpirit for this end, and to bless our desires and proceedings with suchsuccess as may be deliverance and safety to his people, andencouragement to other Christian churches that may be groaning under, orin danger of, the yoke of Antichristian tyranny, to join in the same, or like association and Covenant to the glory of God, the enlargement ofthe kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the peace and tranquility of Christiankingdoms and commonwealths. 

N. B. --These Covenants above-written, formerly nationally taken andrenewed, and still nationally binding, We, in our private station only, swear and subscribe in their genuine sense, conform to the Explicationand Application thereof, in our present Acknowledgment of the publicSins and Breaches of the same, and Engagement to the Duties containedtherein, which do in a special way relate to the present times, and areproper for our capacities therein. 

 * * * * *

_A SOLEMN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PUBLIC SINS, AND BREACHES OF THE NATIONALCOVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT_. 

We all and every one of us--being _by the good hand of our God upon us_, now, after a long and due deliberation, determined to testify to theworld, for the glory of God, and the exoneration of our consciences, inthe matter of our duty, our adherance to the whole of our attainedReformation, by renewing these our vows and Covenant-engagements withGod, and knowing that it is a necessary preparative for the rightperformance of that so great and solemn a duty, that we be duly sensibleof, and deeply humbled for the many heinous breaches thereof, whichthese nations, and we ourselves in particular are guilty of; dotherefore, with that measure of sorrow and repentance which God of hismercy shall be pleased to grant us, desire to acknowledge and confessour own sins and violations of these vows, and the sins andtransgressions of our fathers; to which we have also an example left usby the _Cloud of witnesses, which through faith and patience haveinherited the promises_, ever since the Lord had a visible nationalchurch upon earth, and more especially by our progenitors in thisnation; as, for instance, in the year 1596, "Wherein the GeneralAssembly, and all the kirk judicatories, with the concurrence of many ofthe nobility, gentry and burgesses, did with many tears acknowledge thebreach of the National Covenant, and engaged themselves into areformation, even as our predecessors, and theirs, had done in theGeneral Assembly and Convention of Estates in the year 1567. " As alsothe more recent practice of the godly renewing the National Covenant, and acknowledging the breaches of it, both before they obtained theconcurrence of civil authority, in the year 1638, and again, byauthority, in the year 1639. And that noble precedent of that _NationalSolemn acknowledgment of Public Sins and Breaches of the Solemn Leagueand Covenant, and Solemn Engagement to all the duties containedtherein_, (which we are here taking for our pattern, and enlarging thesame as the sad sins and transgressions since that time committed, andthe circumstances of time give occasion) condescended upon, "by theCommission of the General Assembly, and approven by the Committee ofEstates, and publickly owned in all the churches, at the renewing of theSolemn League, Anno 1648, and 1649, together with that solemn renovationthereof accompanied with such confession of sins as did best suit thattime, by that small company of the Lord's people at Lanark, before theirdiscomfiture at Pentland hills. And perceiving by the foresaidinstances, that this duty, when gone about out of conscience, hath veryoften been attended with a reviving out of troubles--or at least out ofdeadness, security, and formality, under which we and the land are atpresent sinking, and with a blessing and success from heaven;--'We dohumbly and sincerely, as in His sight who is the searcher of hearts, acknowledge the many sins and great transgressions of the land; we havedone wickedly, our kings, our princes, our nobles, our judges, ourofficers, our teachers, and our people. Albeit the Lord hath long andclearly spoken unto us, we have not hearkened to his voice. Albeit hehath followed us with tender mercies, we have not been allured to waitupon him and walk in his way. And though he hath sticken us, yet we havenot grieved: nay, though he hath consumed us, we have refused to receivecorrection. We have not remembered to render unto the Lord according tohis goodness, and according to our vows and promises; but have gone awaybackward, by a perpetual backsliding, and have most sinfully andshamefully broken the National Covenant, and all the articles of theSolemn League and Covenant, which our fathers sware before God, angelsand men. '" Albeit there has been in the land, ever since the reformationof religion, some of all ranks who have been for a testimony unto thetruth, and for a name of joy and praise unto the Lord, by living godly, studying to keep their garments pure, and being steadfast in thecovenant and cause of God; and there yet continues to be some, thoughreduced to a very small number, destitute of outward power and ability, and other helps fit for the right managing of a testimony, wanting thecountenance of civil authority, and having few to feed or lead them; whoare, notwithstanding all these difficulties, labouring in the strengthof Christ to keep the good old way of these faithful witnesses who aregone before, in bearing testimony to the truths of Christ. "Yet we havereason to acknowledge, that most of us in this land have not endeavouredwith that reality, sincerity, and constancy that did become us, topreserve the work of reformation in the Kirk of Scotland, as we areobliged by the first article of the Solemn League, and by the NationalCovenant; wherein we promise and swear by the great name of the Lord ourGod, that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine anddiscipline of this kirk, and shall defend the same according to ourvocation and power all the days of our lives, under the pains containedin the law, and danger both of body and soul in the day of God's fearfuljudgment, and resist all contrary error and corruptions, according toour vocations, and the utmost of that power God hath put in our handsall the days of our life--according to these Scriptures. "

Ezra ix. 10, 11, "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? forwe have forsaken thy commandments. Verse 11. Which thou hast commandedby thy servants the prophets, &c. " Isaiah xxiv. 5, "The earth also isdefiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressedthe laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant. "Jeremiah ix. 13, "And the Lord saith, because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walkedtherein. Verse 15. Therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God ofIsrael, behold I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, andgive them water of gall to drink. " Daniel vii. 25, "And he shall speakgreat words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of theMost High, and think to change times and laws. " Galatians v. 1, "Standfast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and benot entangled again with the yoke of bondage. " I Timothy iv. 16, "Takeheed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine: continue in them: for in doingthis, thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. " 2 Timothyi. 13, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith, and love, which is in Christ Jesus. " Revelation in. 10, 11, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep theefrom the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to trythem that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly; hold fast thatwhich thou hast, that no man take thy crown. "

"But we have been so far from such endeavours, that there hath been astupid submission to our rulers and great ones, breaking down andruining the whole work of reformation, razing the bulwarks thereof, rescinding the laws in favour of the same, and not only breaking butburning the covenants for preserving it, enacting the breaches thereof, and declaring the obligation thereof void and criminal to be, owned;and, upon the ruins thereof, setting up abjured Diocesan ErastianPrelacy, with its concomitant bondage of patronages--a blasphemous andsacrilegious supremacy and arbitrary power in magistrate over church andstate. There was little conscience made of constant endeavours topreserve the reformation, when there was not a seasonable testimonyexhibited against these audacious and heaven-daring attempts; when ourministers were by a wicked edict ejected from their charges, both theyand the people too easily complied with it. Albeit, in the NationalCovenant, the land is obliged to defend the reformation, and to labourby all means lawful to recover the purity and liberty of the gospel, byforbearing the practice of all novations introduced in the worship ofGod, or approbation of the corruptions of the public government of thekirk: yet was there given all the approbation required by law of thenovation and corruption of Prelacy by hearing the Prelatic curates. Bothministers and people, in a great measure complied with, submitted unto, and connived at the encroachments of the supremacy and absolute power, both in accepting and countenancing the former indulgences and latertoleration; the generalty took and subscribed oaths and bonds imposedduring the reigns of these tyrants, Charles II. And James Duke of York, pressing conformity with the then establishments of church and state, most contrary to the reformation which the nation had sworn to preserve;some of these oaths and bonds restraining the takers from all endeavoursto preserve it, as those that renounced the privilege of defensive arms;some of them abjuring the covenants expressly, and condemning theprosecution of the ends of them as rebellion, viz. , the declaration andtest; the most part did, Issachar like, crouch beneath all the burthensof maintaining and defending an arbitrary power and absolute tyranny, wholly employed and applied for the destruction of reformation, and paidsuch subsidies and supplies as were declaredly imposed for upholding thetyrant's usurpations, and suppressing all endeavours to preserve thereformation. "

And after the Lord was pleased in mercy to break the rod of oppression, and burst the bands of that horrid tyranny from off his people's necks, and to allow us a time of peace and ease; yet have we not madeconscience of keeping this our oath; but instead of all lawful means topreserve the discipline and government of this church, there have beenfrequent invasions made thereupon by the civil powers, exercising anErastian supremacy over her assemblies, by indicting, prorogueing, anddissolving them at their pleasure, and in their name and authority;whereby Christ's supremacy and kingly dignity was highly injured. And asthe state for their part have, contrary to this article, made theseusurpations upon the government of the church, so have backsliddenministers in their stations shamefully succumbed to, been silent at, andpleaded in defence of these usurpations, and have not zealously andfaithfully asserted their Master's prerogatives, and the privileges ofhis church, sacrilegiously encroached upon by the magistrate. And peoplelikewise have, in their stations, been unconcerned about these wrongsand injuries done to Christ, and have not used all lawful endeavour withtheir superiors (which they own as such, ) whether of church or state, inorder to reformation thereof, nor made faithful protestations againstthem, when they could not obtain redress--and as the government of thechurch has not been duly preserved; so there has been a want of constantendeavours to preserve pure the doctrine of this reformed church; andthat ever since that fatal distraction of _public resolution principles_began to creep into the church, which corrupted people in that doctrineof abstaining from association with malignants and enemies to truth andgodliness, and so far prevailed that the avowed enemies of religion werebrought into places of greatest trust and authority. And theseassociations have not been made only with the haters of religion athome, but are also entered into with the enemies to the Protestantreligion abroad; and many backsliding ministers in the late times oftyranny were very faulty in this point of not labouring to preserve thepurity of doctrine, either by express condemning of some importanttruths then persecuted, or at least in being silent and not assertingthem, nor applying their doctrine to the time's corruptions; wherebymany of the people were left to be overcome by snares--"And so laid opento seek out other principles to justify their practices of compliance, or extravagances on the right or left hand, not consistent with thedoctrine and rules of the Church of Scotland, others were not constantin confessing those doctrines before men when called to suffer for, andavouch them. " Neither are there at this day, nor has there been allalong during these years of peace and quiet, suitable endeavours forsuppressing all sorts of unsound doctrine, or purging the land of theleaven of erroneous principles. Although there have been many laws madeagainst Popery, yet how have they been put to execution, when Papistsare so rife and Popery prevalent?--the idolatrous mass being set up inseveral places of the kingdom; the maintainers and promoters ofQuakerism, Bourignianism, Arminianism, &c, are not punished, butprotected by the state, and connived at by the church. And whereas, theright endeavouring of maintaining sound doctrine, doth requireuprightness and sincerity in the profession and belief thereof, and asuitable practice accompanying that belief; we have it to lament thatthe most part of us in this land are but hypocritical in the professingof the doctrines of the gospel, and want a suitable practice andconversation becoming the gospel, cause, and cross of Christ. Many aregrossly ignorant of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, or studythe circumstantial and controverted more than the fundamental truths. There has also been great short coming of _real, sincere and constantendeavors to preserve the worship of God_, public and private. "In timesof hazard, many ministers left off preaching, and the people hearing. Wehave been negligent and remiss in family worship; and, instead ofpreserving, many have done much to discourage and hinder it: And insecret we have been formal and careless: Many have satisfied themselveswith the purity of the ordinances, neglecting the power thereof, yea, some have turned aside to crooked ways destructive to both. " Neitherhave we been careful to preserve the discipline, church censures beinglaid aside, and not impartially exercised against scandals, personal andpublic. Scandalous persons being admitted to hold up their children tobaptism, and to partake of the Lord's table and other privileges of thechurch, without respect to the rules of Christ. The discipline of thechurch hath also been circumscribed, limited, and bounded by Acts ofParliament, and is now rendered ineffectual by the late Act of theBritish Parliament, entitled, _Act for preventing the Disturbing ofthose of the Episcopal Communion in that part of Great Britain calledScotland_. So that ministers could not without transgressing these Acts(which they too punctually observe) draw out the sword of disciplineagainst many covenant-breakers; perjured hireling-curates being allowedto enjoy churches and benefices without censure or molestation, ifsubject to the civil government, as is evident from the 27th Act of thefifth Session of William's first Parliament, entitled, _Act concerningthe Church_. Ministers have neglected to draw out the sword ofdiscipline, duly and impartially against scandalous persons of everyrank and quality; so that many gross offenders have been passed overwithout censure, as, namely, such as shed the blood of the Lord'speople, complied with the tyrants and usurpers in the times ofpersecution, by testing, bonding, hearing of curates, paying of cess andother taxations, intelligencers, and informers against the people ofGod, accepters of indulgences and toleration, and such as preached underthe covert of remissions and indemnities bought by sums of money fromthe council, such as had been lack and negligent in testifying againstthe corruptions of the times, were not brought to an acknowledgment ofit; but, upon the contrary, encouraged as well-doers, and advanced tooffice and public employment in the church without evident signs ofrepentance. And many other scandalous persons are daily connived at andsuperficially past, without sufficient discoveries of their repentanceand amendment: Many also have been overlooked because of their eminencyin the world, or past over for pecuniary mulcts. And, whereas, in thesame first Article of the Solemn League, we are bound "to endeavor thepromoting and propagating of the Reformation and uniformity of religion, Confession of Faith, Form of Church-government (which as it wasprimarily understood, so still we own to be only Presbyterial) Directoryfor Worship and Catechising. According to the Scriptures. "

Isa. Xix. 18. "In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speakthe language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of Hosts. " Jer. Xxxii. 39. "And I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them and of their children after them. " Zech. Xiv. 9. "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day thereshall be one Lord, and his name one. " Acts ii. 46. "And they continuingdaily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread, from house tohouse, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. " Actsiv. 32. "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, andone soul. " I Cor. Vii. 17. "But as God hath distributed to every man, asthe Lord hath called every one, so let him walk; and so ordain I in allchurches. " Gal. Vi. 16. "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. " Phil. Iii. 16. "Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained; let us walk by the samerule; let us mind the same thing. "

Yet as our fathers had reason to complain, "that the profane, loose, andinsolent carriage of many in their armies, who went to the assistance oftheir brethren in England, and the tampering and unstraight dealings ofsome commissioners and others of our nation, in London, the Isle ofWight, and other places, had proved great lets to the work ofreformation and settling of kirk government there, whereby error andschism in the land had been greatly increased, and sectaries hardened intheir way;" so much more during the time of the late persecution, theoffensive carriage of many who went to England is to be bewailed, whoproved very stumbling to the Sectarians there. 

There hath been little zeal or endeavour for such a uniformity, littlepraying for it, or mourning over the obstructions of it; but, upon thecontrary, a toleration was embraced, introductive of a sectarianmultiformity of religion without a testimony against the toleration evenof Popery itself, under the usurper James, Duke of York; and since theRevolution the land hath done exceeding much to harden them. 1st, Byaccepting such persons to the royal dignity over this realm as had swornto maintain the Antichristian hierarchy of Prelacy, with all thesuperstitions and ceremonies of the Church of England, and whocountenance a multiformity in the worship of God and government of thechurch, and do not suppress such as are unsound and heterodox in thefundamental articles of the Christian faith. And, next, to put a fullstop to all endeavours of uniformity and union in the Lord's way, and tobring the nation under an indespensible necessity of covenant breaking, this nation hath entered into an _incorporating union_ with England insuch terms, and upon such conditions as formally and explicitlyestablished Prelacy as the Church-government there to all succeedinggenerations; and that while, in the meantime, all manner of Sectarianerrors are there encouraged, maintained, and supported by means of atoleration. By the concluding of which union, this land hath said uponthe matter that there is no obligation upon us to tender the advancementof religion in that nation, or to study such means and methods as mighttend to bring them to a sense of their breach of covenant, or reducethem to a performance of the duties whereunto they are engaged; and thusthis land hath hardened them in their sinful ways and courses, contraryto this Solemn League, and given them ground to think that we look uponthe obligation thereof to be loosed. This land hath been wanting incompassion to them as brethren, in not labouring to show them their sinand danger, while persisting in a professed violation of their vows, andrefusing them help in their need, when supplication was made by some ofthem to the first Assembly after the Revolution for ministers to preachthe gospel. And though this land hath sought out methods how toentertain amity and friendship with them, yet have they not endeavouredto have it such as that the Lord should, upon that account, delight todwell amongst us: nay, upon the contrary, unless these methods berepented of and forsaken, it is impossible that reformation should everamount to that degree of perfection in these kingdoms, to which, throughthe mercy of God, it once arrived; so that instead of _living togetherin peace and love, we and our posterity after us_, are like to live in ajoint defection from our covenant engagements made to the Most High God. 

In the second Article of the Solemn League and Covenant, we swear, "Thatwe shall, without respect of persons, endeavour the extirpation ofPopery, Prelacy, Superstition, Heresy, Schism, Profaneness, andwhatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine and the powerof godliness. And in the National Covenant to abhor and detest theAntichristian wicked Hierarchy, " &c. According to the Scriptures. 

Exod. Xxiii. 32, 33. "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor withtheir gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sinagainst me: for if thou serve their gods, it surely will be a snare untothee. " Exod. Xxxiv. 12, 13. "Take heed to thyself, lest thou make acovenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it befor a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves. " Deut. Xiii. Chapterthroughout. Judges ii. 2. "And ye shall make no league with theinhabitants of this land; you shall throw down their altars, " &c. Zech. Xiii. 2, 3. "And it shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord ofHosts, that I will cut off the names of idols out of the land, and alsoI will cause the prophets and the unclean spirits to pass out of theland. And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, thenhis father and his mother that begat him, shall say unto him, Thou shaltnot live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and hisfather, and his mother, that begat him, shall thrust him through, whenhe prophesieth. " I Tim. Iv. 1, 2, 3. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heedto seducing spirits and doctrines of devils: Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron: Forbidding to marry, andcommanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be receivedwith thanksgiving of them which believe, and know the truth. " Rev. Xvii. 5. "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THEGREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Verse 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate thewhore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. " Compared with Rev. Xviii. 4, 5, 6. "A I heardanother voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that yebe not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered heriniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto herdouble according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill toher double. "

Yet, alas! so far has the land been defective in this, that upon thecontrary, it hath been polluted with idolatrous masses; altars, andother monuments of idolatry were suffered again to be erected; the penalstatutes were disabled, stopped, and suspended by an absolute arbitrarypower by means of a toleration in its own nature tending, and in itsdesign intending to introduce Popery and slavery, which yet was acceptedand addressed for by many backslidden ministers, who to this day havemade no public acknowledgement of the sin of so doing, notwithstandingall the reformation which is bragged of, and was countenanced, complied, and concurred with by many people without a testimony or endeavour towithstand it. Yea, the administration of the government and the greatestoffices of power and trust were committed into, and permitted to abidein the hands of Papists; and the head of them and great pillar andpromoter of Popery, James the VII, was owned as King, contrary to thelaws of God and man and covenant obligations, without respect of personsto extirpate Popery and Papists; and few during that time evinced anyjust zeal or indignation against, or fear of the manifest appearances ofthe coming in of Popery and intended establishment of it in the land. And not only then, but even to this day, there is too much conniving atPapists; the laws are not put in execution against them in their fullextent and latitude: And albeit this land, yea, whole Britain andIreland, were purged of Popery, yet cannot we be said to have madeconscience of performing this part of the oath of God, while there is aconfederating with Papists abroad and fighting in their quarrel, andthat, whilst in the meantime they are persecuting, with the height ofrigour and severity, all such as profess any thing of the reformedreligion in their dominions. And as there hath been great failures inrespect of extirpating Popery, so especially in the performance of thatpart of the covenant which binds us to the extirpation ofPrelacy--"_i. E. _ Church government by arch-bishops, bishops, theirchancellors and commissaries, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other officers depending upon that hierarchy:" there hath been amost wilful and palpable violation of the oath of God, though it be mostclearly our duty prescribed in his word. 

Matt. Xx. 25, 26. "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, ye knowthat the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and theythat are great exercise authority upon them: But it shall not be soamong you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be yourminister. " Luke xxii. 25, 26. "And he said unto them the Kings of theGentiles exercise lordship over them, " &c. Acts xx: 17. "And fromMiletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. "Compared with verse 28. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to allthe flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you observers (bishops)to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. "I Peter v. 3. "Neither as being lords over God's heritage: but beingensamples to the flock. " 3 John verse 9. "I wrote unto the church; butDiotrepehes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receivethus not. "

And these breaches of it were not only made during the tunes ofpersecution, when Charles the II. By an arbitrary power, granted him bya parasitical Parliament, did overturn Presbyterian government, andintroduce Prelacy, to which change the greatest part of the ministry didperfidiously yield, and became vassals to the bishops; such as were notwilling to conform, were pressed to it by confinement, banishment, imprisonment, confiscation of goods, all manner of tortures, and, finally, death itself. 

During which hour and power of darkness, many complied with the enemy, by taking oaths and bonds, indulgencies and toleration, and because soremiss in this matter, that it was all one to them which government hadthe ascendant, so they might enjoy their worldly accommodations. Andnot only then, while Satan was let loose in his members and emissariesto persecute and waste the Church of Christ, but since peace andquietness are obtained, this duty continues to be greatly slighted; yea, in place of extirpating Prelacy, have there not been courses takeneffectually to establish it? To instance a few--the accepting of Williamand Mary, and after them the present possessor of the Crown, to besupreme Magistrates, while they are knownly and professedly Prelaticalin their judgment, and engaged by oath at their coronation to maintainthe same; the swearing oaths of allegiance to them without security fortheir preserving of the true reformed religion--yea, without anylimitation or qualification whatsoever; as also, the taking an oath ofadjuration, wherein, by consequence, the takers engaged to do to theutmost of their power to procure that the Kings or Queens of thesekingdoms shall be of the communion of the Prelatical Church, and so thatthey shall contribute to the support of Prelacy. 

Again, the Episcopal clergy who subjected to it during the time of itslegal establishment, have not been therefore prosecuted by thediscipline of the church; but such as did, and yet do profess it astheir principle, are allowed equal encouragement with the Presbyterians, only providing they evidence good affection to the civil government. Andnow, since the late _incorporating union_ with England, we of thisnation have consented that Prelacy shall be established there to allsucceeding generations, (as was observed in the first article); and, moreover, have given into the hands of the Prelatics in England, thepower of making laws which must become binding upon this land, theybeing members of the British Parliament and council; which power hasbeen already improved, to establish a liberty and protection for thewhole rabble of the Episcopal Clergy in the free exercise of the Popishceremonies of the Church of England, without any provision against thegrossest heretical opinions that they please to broach, excepting onlythe denying of the doctrine of the blessed Trinity. Where, then, are ourendeavours for the extirpation of the wicked hierarchy?--where is theabhorrence and detestation of it, sworn and engaged to in theseCovenants?--Do not many who profess themselves to be Presbyterians showthemselves so indifferent in this point, that they can join witheither, as may suit their interest?--instance the Sacramental Testers. Few mourn over and pray earnestly for the subversion of that hierarchy. Few doctrinally discover the evils of such a government, and howcontrary it is to God's Word--or labour to bring their hearers into adislike and detestation of it, and the sad fruits which result from it. Few study to convince others of the evil of such a principle, andfollowing such a course by the Apostle's rule, avoiding all unnecessarycompany with them, that they may be ashamed; but, upon the contrary, many Presbyterians too familiar and unnecessary converse with them, encourage and harden them; and, particularly, ministers are to be blamedherein, who preach one half of the Lord's day in the church, and allowthe curate the other half. Few impartially reprove and warn them oftheir sin and danger; but, upon the other hand, many professedPresbyterians, by their untender and unchristian walk and conversation, or by their lukewarmness and indifferency in Christ's matters, nowcalled _moderation_, and by their walking contrary to covenantengagements, do exceedingly harden them in their evil way, andscandalize them at their duty. Instead of endeavours to extirpatesuperstition and heresy, as we are bound by the same article of theSolemn League, and by the "National Covenant to detest all superstitionand heresy, without or against the Word of God, and doctrine of thisreformed kirk, according to the Scripture. "

Duet. Xii. 30, 31, 32--"Take heed to thyself, that thou be not snared byfollowing them, after that they be destroyed from before thee, and thatthou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations servetheir gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto theLord thy God; for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth, havethey done unto their gods: for even their sons and their daughters theyhave burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it. " Actsxvii. 22--"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mar's-hill, and said--Ye menof Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. " Gal. Iv. 10--"Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. " Gal. V. 20--"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies. " Col. Ii. 20--"Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christfrom the rudiments of the world; why as though living in the world, areye subject to ordinances? verse 21, Touch not, taste not, handle not:verse 23, Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, andhumility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to thesatisfying of the flesh. " Tit. Iii. 10--"A man that is an heretic, afterthe first and second admonition, reject. "

Yet, in the darkness of the times of persecution, many dregs of Popishsuperstition were observed, many omens and freets too much looked to;Popish festival days--as Pasche, Yule, Fastings-even, &c, have been keptby many; and Prelatical anniversary days, and festivities devised oftheir own heart, appointed for commemorating the King's and Queen'sbirthdays, (as May 29th, October 13th, February 6th, ) who were born as ascourge to this realm, were complied with by many. Yes, some havesuperstitiously made use of the Scriptures as a fortune book, looking tothat which first cast up to them, or to impressions borne in upon theirminds from such and such places of Scripture as Divine responses, without a due search of them as the Lord hath commanded. And manywavering and unstable souls have been seduced unto damnable andpernicious heresies, as Quakers, and delirious delusions, as those thatfollowed John Gib. All which have been breaches of Covenant, as well asof Divine commands. Yea, even to this very day, the same superstitionsare observed and practised, as abstaining from labouring upon theforesaid festivities, and observing presages of good or tad fortune (asit is called, ) upon them and other times; as likewise, many practisersof enchantments and users of charms--yea, such as are in actual compactwith the devil, are not carefully sought out, nor accurately tried, inorder to be brought to punishment, but overlooked and protected. 

There has been also since the revolution, as well as before, a greatdeluge of errors through these covenanted lands, which, to this day, continue and increase: that might be sufficient to convince us thatthere have not been proper measures taken to suppress them, as thisarticle obliges us to do;--nay, instead thereof, they are tolerated, maintained, and protected by authority, as appears both from the lateAct of Parliament, and from the liberty allowed to that pestilentgeneration of Quakers, who keep their general meetings yearly inEdinburgh, being guarded by a company of the town guards. And as thestate do not prosecute the promoters and abettors of these heresies withcivil pains, as is the duty of such as call themselves God'svicegerents, and own themselves to be intrusted with keeping of bothtables of the law; so the church is nothing speedier or more active indrawing out their ecclesiastical sword to cut off these luxurantbranches, and to take _the little foxes which spoil the wines_. Manywhose duty, by virtue of their office, is to give warning from Zion'swalls, as watchmen entrusted with the city of God, neglect to discover, and from the scriptures to confute these errors, or to show their flocksby doctrine or writing the danger of being tainted with them. And assuitable endeavours have been wanting effectually to extirpate heresyand error, so schism, its inseparable companion, and necessaryconsequent, has exceedingly grown and increased, to the great damage ofthe church of Christ in these kingdoms, and utter subversion of thatmost pleasant fabric of uniformity in religion, which the League andCovenant binds us to endeavour. The word of God makes schism a verygreat sin, as is evident from Rom. Xvi. 17; 1 Cor. Xi. 18, xii. 25; Heb. X. 25; Jude 19. 

And all the nation are to be reputed guilty of it who depart from thedoctrine and laudable constitutions delivered by Christ and hisapostles, and adhered unto by the church of Scotland in her purest timesof Reformation. And if we consider schism under this notion, as we oughtto do, then will we find that the greatest part of the land is guilty ofit. Few are firmly and constantly adhering to the attained Reformation;but many upon the left hand, have turned aside to compliance withPrelacy and Erastianism, and so have by their defection broken thechurch's _beauty_ and _bands_, order and union, in making a factionrepugnant to her established order, and, censurable by all her standingacts, in bringing innovations in the government, and making a rent inthe bowels of the church; by causing divisions and offences contrary tothe doctrine of the church; whereby they have made themselves guilty ofschism; and some have fallen into delusions and dotages upon the righthand, who, in seeking to be religious above what is commanded, have comeshort of the truth of religion, and made a faction repugnant to thiscovenant. Some, being private persons, have pretended an immediatecommission to preach the word, and administer the sacraments. Others, being stumbled with the defection of the time, have turned aside toindependency. "Some upon slender and insufficient grounds, have and doseparate both from faithful ministers and Christian societies andfamilies, because of difference in judgment and incident debates, wherein the testimony of Christ is not much concerned; or because ofpersonal offences easily removed, not observing the rules of Christ forremoving of them, not having respect to his great commands of charity, forbearance, forgiving one another, or condescendency. And among dividedparties, which in our day have been long biting and devouring oneanother, there hath been too much both of sinful union and confederacyin terms prejudicial to truth; as our joinings in the _Angus regiment_, at the _Revolution_, and our guarding and supplicating that corrupt_Convention of Estates_, which consisted mostly of such as had beendirectly or indirectly guilty of the murder of the Lord's people; andupon the other hand, there hath been too much of sinful heats, animosities, and jealousies, pride, passion, and prejudice, grieving theSpirit of the Lord, and eating out the power and life, and muchhindering the holy practice and spiritual exercise of religion. "

_We have been so far from endeavouring to extirpate profaneness, anotherevil engaged against in the covenant, and condemned in the Word of God_. Deut. Xxix. 19; Job xxi. 14; Jer. Xxiii. 15; Ezek. Xxii. 26; Hos. Iv. 1-3; Heb. Vii. 15. 

"That profanity hath been much winked at, and profane persons muchcountenanced, and many times employed, till iniquity and ungodlinesshave gone over the land as a flood; and profanity, beginning at thecourt, hath spread itself through every rank and quality in the land: sothat immoralities and sins against every precept of both tables aregreatly abounding. " As, namely, great contempt of God and godliness, ignorance, atheism and irreligion, unsuitable walking to the knowledgeof him and his perfections which we have, and not labouring in the useof means to attain more. Much neglect of pressing after peace andreconciliation with him, through a Mediator, and of living up to theprofession which we make of him. Despising of his holy ordinances andmeans of worship; deafness and stupidity under the calls of his Word. Profanation of his holy sacraments, neglect of secret prayer (whereinmuch of the life of religion lies), and of prayer in families, or anegligent, careless and superficial performance thereof; many using aformality of words and expressions learned by custom. Some using ourblessed Lord's prayer as a set form, which ought to be used as a rule ofdirection in all our prayers, and not as a dead form of words: manyseeking more to be seen of men in this and all other duties, than toapprove themselves to God, and more careful to come by apposite wordsand expressions, when praying with others, than to attain and entertainthe breathings and influences of the Spirit of God. Much neglect ofpropagating Christian knowledge in congregations and families; ministersand masters of families not making diligent search into the knowledge ofthe flocks and families under their charge, and instructing themsuitably. Much swearing and profanation of God's name, by loose and vainoaths in common discourse: yea, swearing by the creatures--as, soul, faith, conscience, and the like, thereby sacrilegiously attributing tothem divine honour; as also, by imposing upon all persons in any publictrust the unlimited and unlawful oath of allegiance, together with thebond of assurance, and the oath of abjuration, contrary to the oath ofthe covenant, thereby debauching people's consciences, and involvingthem in the guilt of perjury. Great profanation of the holy Sabbath, andneglect or careless performance of the duties therein required; breakingit by unnecessary feasting, walking, idle, vain and impertinentdiscourse, and such like recreations; yea, by hunting, hawking, ridingand going of journeys, sounding trumpets before their lords ofJusticiary when going to church, reading of proclamations whollyirrelative to religion, and making publications not necessary norexpedient to be made upon that day. Much disobedience to parents, andundue carriage of persons of all ranks and relations towards each other. Great murder and bloodshed, so that the land is defiled with blood, andthat not only the blood of the Lord's people, who, in the times ofpersecution, were led forth like sheep to the slaughter, because oftheir adherence to their duty, and refusing conformity with wickedcourses and subjection to wicked laws, eversive of their covenantengagements, not yet mourned over, nor purged away by the blood of thosethat shed it; but likewise many through the land are murderedfrequently, and the murderers are not prosecuted with due severity: nay, such are the methods that are now taken to embolden the wicked in thatand all other crimes, that whatever presumptions of guilt may be had, orhow ample confession soever be made, if it be extrajudicial, and thevery fact not proved by witnesses, the delinquent is passed over andabsolved as a well-doer, and many actually convicted of murder areindemnified and let pass unpunished. 

Much uncleanness and filthiness, adultery, fornication, incest, bestiality, sodomy, lasciviousness, promiscuous dancing, stage plays, excessive drinking, vanity in apparel, and the like abominableunchastity and incentives to it. Much stealing, robbery and oppression, grinding the faces of the poor by unjust taxations and heavyimpositions, and by hindering the poor from begging, for the support oftheir lives in times of scarcity, by a wicked edict. Perverting ofjustice in law suits; lawyers and advocates finding means, for their owngain and worldly advantage, to obtain decisive sentences in favor of therich, contrary to justice and equity; much cheating and deceiving inbargaining; forestalling of markets in times of scarcity; depriving thepoor of their habitations and livelihoods by building of parks andin-closures; tenants taking leases over their neighbor's head, and thelike. It is, moreover, to be bewailed that many ministers, who should beexamples of charity and good works, are ringleaders in this sin ofoppression. Much lying and bearing of false witness, defaming oneanother's good name, reproaching persons for their adherence to thetruths and cause of Christ, or for discovering any piece of zeal andaffection that way. Much covetousness and worldly-mindedness, repining, murmuring and discontentment with God's dispensations; revenge, wrath, malice, envy, bitterness and innumerable sins, both against the preceptsof the moral law, and the offers of Christ in the Gospel, which plainlysays that we have not used the endeavours which in this Article wepromise, for "Rooting up profaneness and whatsoever is found contrary tosound doctrine and the power of godliness, lest we partake of othermen's sins, and so be in danger to receive of their plagues. " Nay, hathnot much unsound doctrine been maintained in the arguments which havebeen used for defending the lawfulness of the courses of compliance withPrelacy and Erastianism? and these, amongst other unsound notions, havebeen entertained amongst us--"That lesser and circumstantial truths arenot to be suffered for; that confession of these truths hath not beencalled for in our day; that people are not in hazard of the sins ofothers, especially of magistrates and ministers, if they do not directlyact the same sins themselves; that sins of bypast times (if they be notpresently practiced) are not to be confessed, nor the persons guilty tobe stood at a distance from, till they give evident documents of theirrepentance;" contrary to express and plain Scripture. 

2 Sam. Xxi. 1; 2 Sam. Xxiv. 17; 2 Kings xxi. 11, 12; Isa. Xliii. 27, 28;Jer. Xiv. 15, 16; Mic. Iii. 11, 12. 

Whence both ministers and people have been involved in the sins ofPrelacy, Indulgence, Toleration, Erastianism, subjecting the governmentof the church to the secular and civil authority; while they thoughtthese only to be the sins of Prelates, or of wicked and usurping rulers;they in the meantime yielding all the conformity with, submission unto, and approbation of them, that was by wicked laws required. On the otherhand, many of us have rested too much in a non-compliance with these, and "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. "

In the third Article, whereas we are bound, "in our several vocations, mutually to preserve the rights and privileges of Parliaments, andliberties of the kingdoms;" meaning the true, real and righteousprivileges and liberties--consonant to the Word of God. 

Deut. I. 13; Deut. Xvi. 18; Isa. I. 26. 

Likeas, all lieges are bound by the laws of the land inserted in theNational Covenant, to "maintain the authority of Parliaments, withoutwhich neither any laws nor lawful judicatories can be established. " Yetas our fathers had reason to complain "that neither had the privilegesof the Parliament nor liberties of the subject been duly tendered; butsome amongst them had laboured to put into the hands of the king anarbitrary and unlimited power destructive to both; and many of them hadbeen accessory to those means and ways whereby the freedom andprivileges of Parliaments had been encroached upon, and the subjectsoppressed in their consciences, persons and estates;" so afterwards, allalongst the tract of tyranny and persecution, they had rather the nameand show than the real power and privileges of lawfully constitutedParliaments; having advanced the royal prerogative to such a boundlesspitch of arbitrariness, and being so corrupted, that faithful men andhonest and honourable patriots were excluded, and those admitted who bythe law of God and man should have been debarred; and so prelimited thatthe members behoved to take such oaths (for instance, the declarationand test, abjuring and condemning the Covenants) as engaged them to beperjured and conjured enemies both to our religion and liberty, whichboth the electors of Members of Parliament and the elected did sinfullycomply with; neither did the body of the land make conscience ofrecovering these rights and privileges thus perverted and polluted; butin stupid subjection did own those for representatives who betrayedtheir liberties, and made laws to enslave the nation and entail slaveryupon, posterity. On the other hand, they that disowned them did not makeconscience of preserving those rights and privileges of supremejudicatories, when inadvertently and unadvisedly they put in suchexpressions and styles in some of their declarations as do not belong toprivate persons, but only to such judicatories. And not only then, butsince the Revolution, have there been many ways taken for corrupting anddepriving the Members of Parliament; as that all members and electors ofmembers have been obliged to take the oath of allegiance, with theassurance to such as did, and do, in their dominions, support Prelacyand exercise an Erastian supremacy over the church of Christ. 

And now, last of all, by the means of this fatal Union with England, interms and upon conditions inconsistent with our covenanted Union, engaged to in the League and Covenant; the nation's sovereignty andindependency are given up, the rights of Parliament entirely lost, orvanished into a shadow, little preferable to no Parliament; so fewbeing to represent this nation in the Parliament of Great Britain, ascan never be able to prevent, by their number of voices, any act whichit shall please the English to make, how destructive soever the same beto our sacred or civil concerns. Which treaty of Union was concluded ina Parliament as manifestly prelimited, as any which ever was seen inScotland; the members were corrupted with bribes and preferment, and soengaged to act contrary to the will and mind of those whome they didrepresent, and to comply with that stratagem hatched by the English, forenslaving this poor nation, and denuded it of its privileges, as wellsacred as civil. And alas! how insignificant were the endeavours thenused to prevent that course, and preserve the privileges of theParliament and liberties of this kingdom? only some faint addresses, allother attempts being laid aside at their Queen's command, by herproclamation, as _treasonable convocation of the lieges_. 

Again, the subject's liberties, both as men and as Christian, which thescriptures allow, we should preserve, I Sam. Xiv. 25; Acts xxii. 25, 28; xxv. 11, 16, 27; Gal. V. 1. 

Have been miserably encroached upon by arbitrary government, whereby thesubjects have been oppressed in their consciences, persons and estates, by all the oaths and bonds pressing conformity with the corruptions, novations, and usurpations the government of church and state, andpersecutions for recusancy, and by impositions of the freedom of secretthoughts, which no law of men can reach, which yet in the time of thelate persecution were extorted, by threatening of death and manifoldtortures; the church's liberties have also been invaded by theecclesiastical supremacy, declared by a blasphemous law inherent to thecrown, which law, though it be not now in force, is yet still kept up inpractice by the indiction, prorogation, and dissolution of Assemblies, and prescribing diets and causes of fasting and thanksgiving in themagistrate's name and authority, to which ecclesiastical supremacy, usurped by the magistrate, this backslidden church hath alwayssubjected, and now to discover to the world that they are not ashamed ofthis surrendering of our Lord's prerogative to his enemies they have, intheir Assembly, holden at Edinburgh, Anno 1710, most explicitly andfully subscribed to this ecclesiastical supremacy, in their Act forobservation of fasts, wherein they affirm, "that it is much for thehonor of God that fasts whether appointed' by the church, or the civilmagistrate, be duly observed. "

In that same third Article, we are likewise bound to defend "The suprememagistrate's person and authority, in the preservation and defence ofthe true religion and liberties of the kingdom:" as in the NationalCovenant is expressed: likewise, "to defend his person and authority, inthe defence of Christ his evangel, liberties of our country, ministration of justice, and punishment of iniquity; and to stand to hisdefence, in the defence of the true religion, liberties and laws of thekingdom;" as the duty is qualified in scripture. 

II Sam. V. 3. ; II Kings xi. 17; II Chron. Xxvi. 16, 17, 18, 21; Rom. Xiii. 3, 4, 6; I Pet. Ii. 13, 14. 

As our fathers in their acknowledgments had reason to say, "Neither hathit been our care to avoid these things which might harden the king inhis evil way; but, upon the contrary he hath not only been permitted, but many of us have been instrumental to make him exercise his power inmany things tending to the prejudice of religion, and of the Covenant, and of the peace and safety of these kingdoms; which is so far from theright way of preserving his Majesty's person and authority that itcannot but provoke the Lord against him unto the hazard of both. Nay, under a pretence of relieving and doing for the king, whilst he refusesto do what was necessary for the house of God, some have ranversed andviolated most of all the Articles of the Covenant. "

So, during the unhappy days of the late tyranny, it was the land's sinand shame, and ought to be our sorrow, that men were mounted upon athrone of iniquity whose main design and practice was to subvertreligion and persecute it, to introduce Popery itself and slavery, todestroy the nation's liberties, suppress the evangel, and oppress itsprofessors; who enacted and executed manifest injustice, stopped theministration of justice against idolaters, adulterers, murderers, andother malefactors, and punished equity and duty, instead of iniquity;arrogated and obtained a monstrous prerogative above all rights andprivileges of Parliaments, all laws, all liberties; a power to tyrannizeas they pleased without control. But, as it was their sin whoinaugurated Charles II. After such discoveries of his hypocriticalenmity to religion and liberty, upon his subscription to the Covenants, so when he burned and buried that Covenant, and degenerated intomanifest tyranny, and had razed the very foundation upon which both hisright to govern, and the people's allegiance were founded, and remittedthe subjects' allegiance by annulling the bond of it: it was the land'ssin that they continued still to own his authority when opposite to, anddestructive of religion and liberty; and of those who appeared in armsat Pentland and Bothwell Bridge, that they put in his interest (withapplication of the words of the Covenant to him, though stated inopposition to it) into _the state of the quarrel_, in their _declarationof war_, for which (so far as the godly could discern) the Lord put themto shame, and went not forth with their armies. It was likewise the sinof the land, and a great breach of Covenant, when the Duke of York wasadmitted to the exercise of the royal office against the laws of God andman; being incapable of the Covenant qualifications of a magistrate, andbeing a Papist, and so incapable of taking the "oath of coronation tomaintain the true Protestant religion, and gainstand and abolishPopery;" which, for the preservation of the true religion, laws, andliberties of this kingdom, is stated by the 8th Act of Parliament, IKing James VI, "That all kings, at the reception of their princelyauthority, shall take and swear;" yet this authority, thoughinconsistent with, and declaredly opposite to religion and liberty, wasowned and upheld, by paying cess and supplies, expressly exacted forupholding tyranny in the destruction of religion and liberty; and thoughthe Lord did, for a long time, by the tyranny of Charles II. And JamesVII. , chastise these covenanted lands, yet there has not been a turningto him that smiteth: but these lands have again transgressed the Lord'scommandments, and broken this part of the Covenant of the Lord, byreceiving, admitting, supporting and subjecting to such, for Kings andQueens over these realms as want the qualifications required in God'sword, and enacted by the righteous and laudable laws of the land to bein magistrates, superior and inferior: which were not brought underCovenant ties and obligations, to be for God and religion in their ownpersons and families, and to advance and preserve the same allenarly intheir dominions; but in place thereof have come under oath andobligation to countenance, protect end advance the Romish superstitionsand innovations in the worship of God and government of the Church, which the Covenant binds these kingdoms to suppress and extirpate, andin consequence of, and in conformity to, these obligations, do maintainand defend, or tolerate and allow Prelacy and Sectarian errors in theirdominions, contrary to the true religion and sound doctrine, contrary tojustice and equity; yea, contrary to that trust especially committed tothe hands of Christian Magistrates, who for that end have the swordgiven them, _that they may be a terror to evil doers_, preserve anddefend the true religion and professors thereof, and punish andextirpate false religion and heresies, and bring the wheel over thebroachers, maintainers and abettors thereof; which did, and do exercisean Erastian supremacy over the church, in proroguing, and dissolvingGeneral Assemblies, appointing diets and causes of fasts andthanksgivings; and by their civil authority causing them to be kept andobserved; which do not impartially execute justice upon all offenders, witness the frequent indemnities and remissions granted to murderers; asparticularly, the passing without punishment the persons whichperpetrated the inhuman, barbarous and lawless action of the massacre ofGlencoe. Which waste and destroy the kingdom, by levying men and raisingmoney for maintaining a long and expensive war, undertaken neither forthe advancement of the true religion, nor for the advantage and safetyof the nation; but in favour of the house of Austria, which hath been, and yet continues to be, one of the strong pillars of Antichrist'skingdom, and inplacable enemies to the true reformed religion, asappears by the persecution of the Protestants in Silesia, Hungary, &c. And yet notwithstanding of all this, many in the land of all ranks havesworn to bear true and faithful allegiance to them, without anyconditional restriction or limitation; so that it is not possible forthem, in a consistency with their oath, to disown their authority, anddeny them subjection, or refuse to defend their persons and government, albeit they should proceed to the greatest pitch of arbitrariness; whichis very far from the defence promised to Magistrates in the Covenant:the whole land (almost) hath complied with them in all theforementioned particulars so diametrically opposite to the Covenants, and supported, strengthened and encouraged them in these evil courses, by paying them cess and other subsidies; and ministers have minded somuch to be loyal to their government, that they have forgotten to befaithful to their souls, in that they have not discovered to them thesin and danger of patronising Prelacy, and exercising Erastianism overthe church; but in order to obtain their favor, have clapped their handsin these sins, which certainly is most opposite to that loyalty which weought to maintain towards Princes, and tends rather to diminish theirjust power and greatness, than to increase and preserve it; and, insteadof being a proper way of defending their persons and authority, israther a mean to bring the wrath of a just and jealous God upon them, and those who defend or connive at them in these unlawful courses. 

"Our own consciences within, and God's judgment upon us without, doconvince us of the manifold, wilful, renewed breaches of the fourthArticle, which concerneth the discovery of malignants, consonant to theScriptures. "

2 Sam. Xxiii. 6; Esther vii. 5. 6; Psalm xxvi. 5; Psalm ci. 8; Prov. Xxv. 5. 

"For their crimes have not only been connived at, but dispensed with andpardoned, and themselves received into intimate fellowship, intrustedwith counsels, admitted into parliaments, and put in places of power andauthority for managing the public affairs of the kingdom; whereby, inGod's justice, they got at last into their hands the whole power andstrength of the kingdom, both in judicatories and armies, and did employthe same unto the enacting and prosecuting an unlawful engagement in waragainst the kingdom of England, notwithstanding the dissent of manyconsiderable members of parliament, who had given constant proof oftheir integrity in the cause from the beginning; of many faithfultestimonies and free warnings of the servants of God; of thesupplications of many synods, presbyteries, and shires; and thedeclaration of the General Assembly and their Commissioners to thecontrary; which engagement, as it was the cause of much sin, so also ofmuch misery and calamity unto this land, and held forth the grievousnessof our sin, in complying with malignants in the greatness of ourjudgment, that we may be taught never to split again upon the same rock, upon which the Lord hath set so remarkable a beacon. And, after all thatis come to pass unto us, because of this our trespass, and after thatgrace hath been showed unto _our fathers and us once and again_ from theLord our God, by breaking these men's yoke from off _their and ournecks, and sometimes_ delivering our fathers _so far from theirinsultings_, that he put them in a capacity to act for the good ofreligion, their own safety, and the peace and safety of the kingdoms, should they and we again break the commandment and covenant of the Lord, by joining once more with the people of these abominations, and takingunto our bosom these serpents which had formerly stung us almost untodeath; this, as it would argue great madness and folly upon our part, sono doubt, if it be not avoided, will provoke the Lord against us, toconsume us until there is no remnant nor escaping in the land? manytimes have we been warned of the sin of complying with malignants, bothby faithful ministers, and fatherly corrections from the Lord;"--yet, after all these punishments, we have again joined with the people ofthese abominations; the Lord is righteous, for we remain yet escaped asit is this day; behold, we are before him in our trespass, we cannotstand before him because of this. 

These incendiaries, malignants, and evil instruments, made many grievousencroachments, and prevailed much in the days of our fathers--yet notwithout dissent, testimonies, warnings, and declarations; but moreespecially in the dismal days of persecution and tyranny, they weresuffered, yea, encouraged, without any significant joint testimony, notonly to hinder the reformation of religion, but to overturn the wholework of reformation, to burn and bury the covenants for it, tore-establish abjured Prelacy, erect a monstrous Christ-exauctorating andchurch-enslaving supremacy, attempt the introduction of Popery andslavery at the gate of an anti-Christian toleration, and to persecuteand destroy the godly, who durst not in conscience comply with them; andnot only to divide the _King from his people, or one of the kingdomsfrom another_--but first, to divide the bulk and body of both kingdoms, and make them pursue divided interests from the interest and cause ofChrist, and then to divide the remnant of such as adhered to it amongstthemselves, by indulgences and other bonds of contention, in order toget them more easily destroyed; and at length to engage the King intosuch a division from the people, as to make him, instead of theirprotector, their declared destroyer; and not only to _make parties amongthe people contrary to his league and covenant_, but to draw and dividethe whole people into a party with perjuries. The generality, notwithstanding, did own allegiance to the head of these incendiariesand malignants, yea, a Popish incendiary, because he wore a crown on hishead; and did pay the cess imposed for the maintenance and encouragementof malignants; many did associate with them in expeditions of war, drawing up with them in their musters and rendezvouses, therebycountenancing a malignant cause, and listing themselves under amalignant--yea, Popish banner; many subscribed and sware themselvescontrary to the covenant by taking tests, oaths, and bonds, obligingthem to surcease from covenanted duties, and to keep the peace and goodbehaviour with them, whom they were obliged by covenant to seek to bringto punishment; yea, some, and not a few, were inveigled in the snare ofthe oath of delation, to delate the persecuted people of God to theircourts, and thereby made them (instead of discovering malignantsaccording to the covenant, ) to discover their brethren to malignants. And very many, almost the universality of the land, were involved in thesnare of the oath of abjuration, renouncing the principle of declaringwar against a malignant King, and of asserting the lawfulness ofbringing his murthering accomplices and incendiaries to condignpunishment; but, on the other hand, some of the suffering party didsometimes exceed the bounds of moderation in this matter, in usurpingthe sword without God's call, without respect to the rule, and againstthe scope of their own declarations, to take vengeance on them at theirown hand; yea, even to that degree, of taking the lives of some of themin an extravagant manner;[27] for which, they were sadly rebuked of God, an occasion was given and taken to reproach and blaspheme the way of Godupon that account. But to descend to our own time, we have it tobewail, that whatever alteration there is in the face of affairs sincethe yoke of tyranny was taken off our neck, yet there is no alterationin this matter to the better, but rather to the worse; malignants are sofar from being brought to condign punishment, that they are the wholeadministrators of the affairs of the kingdom; whence it is come to pass, that the supreme judicatories which should take trial of such and bringthem to punishment, and to whom they should be delated, are wholly, ormostly composed of such; yea, none may now be reputed malignant unlesshe be disaffected to the civil government; so that malignancy is not nowdisaffection to the cause and work of God, but disaffection to thepresent establishment, and so far are they that are truly disaffected toChrist and his interest this day advanced and strengthened in theirdesigns, that they have (so far as in them lies) put a final stop to allfurther progress in reformation in these covenanted kingdoms; so thatinstead of discovering and bringing to punishment them who make partiesand factions against the League and Covenant, and reformation thereinconcerted, the most part of Britain and Ireland are nought else but aparty and faction against it, who have cast it out of doors, and, forwhat is apparent, are never minded to receive it again; and, upon thecontrary, such as are labouring to adhere most closely (though inweakness) to these engagements, and prosecute the ends of thesecovenants, are unjustly looked upon as a party and faction, andprosecuted as offenders by such as, according to the genuine sense ofthis Article, ought to be brought to condign punishment. It is likewisepromised in this Article, that such _shall be brought to trial as shalldivide the King from his people, or one of the kingdoms from another_, which clause hath been broken, by using endeavours to have King andpeople and the kingdoms all conjoined in a _union_ and conjunctioncontrary to, and eversive of this Solemn League and Covenant; and thesethat go under the character of ministers, from whom it might in allreason be expected that they should interpose for having malignants dulypunished, are so far from doing so, that they make it their endeavourto please them; and upon the contrary, they spare no pains to incensethe persons in the government against those whose design it is, in theLord's strength, to adhere to their covenant engagements, and keepthemselves unspotted from the abominations of the times. We acknowledgealso ourselves guilty of the breach of this Article, in so far as wehave not more frequently and fervently, from a real respect and zeal tothe glory of God, after we saw no means of getting such evil instrumentsand opposers of reformation punished and suppressed by humanjudicatories, applied by prayer and supplication to God, that he wouldeither of his infinite mercy convince them of, and reclaim them from, orin justice reprove and punish them for their opposition to his cause andinterest. As also, that we have not duly searched into our own sins, andespecially the malignancy of our own hearts: by means whereof, the Lordis highly provoked to permit such evil instruments not only to afflictand oppress us, but also to retard the success of his own work; and thatwe have not impartially or sincerely mourned over these sins in our ownhearts and lives, which hinder our own personal, and so have influenceto impede national reformation, and have not forsaken and abandonedthem. 

In the fifth Article, we are bound, "according to our place and station, to endeavor, that the kingdoms may remain conjoined in a most firm peaceand union to all posterity; and that justice may be done upon the wilfulopposers thereof;" according to Isa. Ii. 2, 3, xiv. 23, 24; Jer. 1, 4, 5; Ezek. Xxxvii. 16, 17; Zech. Ii. 11. Viii. 21, 22; Gal. V. 12. 

"But through the peace and union of the kingdoms (while duly subordinateto the interest of religion) was a great blessing of God unto both, anda bond which we are bound to preserve inviolated, and to endeavor thatjustice may be done upon the wilful opposers thereof; yet some in thisland, who have come under the bond of the Covenant, have made it theirgreat study how to dissolve this union, and few or no endeavors havebeen used by any of us for punishing of such;" yea, very little, or noneat all, have the most of us been concerned about this Article; whetherthere be peace with, or holiness and truth in, the other kingdoms; orwhat sort of peace, or on what foundation it be settled: both kingdomsare mutually guilty of dissolving this Covenant Union, in invading eachother, at several times, contrary to the Covenant, the English nationin subjecting us to their conquest, and forcing us to a submission totheir Sectarian usurpations on church and state; and this nation, ingiving such provocations to them, by the unlawful engagement in the year1648, by treating with, setting up and entertaining, the head of themalignant party, their enemy and ours both, as our King in the year1650, and invading them upon his quarrel, at the Worcester expedition, Anno 1651; since which time, after that kingdom and this both united inthat unhappy course of restoring the King, without respect to theCovenant, and re-establishing the Prelacy, which broke our CovenantedUnion and Conjunction, that nation hath sometimes sent aid to ourpersecutors, for suppressing our attempts to recover our religion andliberties; and this nation hath sent forces to help their destroyers, and to suppress their endeavors for the recovery of their privileges. And in the mean time, we have been very little solicitous forcorrespondence to settle union with such of them as owned the Covenant, or for giving to, or receiving from them, mutual informations of ourrespective cases and conditions, under all our calamities and calumniescast upon us: nor have we studied to keep sympathy or communion ofsaints, or mutual bearing of one another's burdens, as became covenantedbrethren. 

On the other hand instead of union in truth and duty according to thebond of the Covenant, a confederacy hath been studied in defection fromthe Covenant, and an union and peace which wanted the foundation laiddown in the foregoing Articles of the Covenant, viz. , "uniformity indoctrine, worship, discipline and government, against Popery, Prelacy, Schism, Sectarianism, for our religion, laws and liberties, anddiscovering, suppressing and punishing the enemies of these interests. "Such an Union has not been studied nor sought, but on the contrary anUnion against the Reformation and Uniformity, for Prelacy andSectarianism multiformity, by maintaining tyranny and strengtheningmalignancy. Yea, by the means of this incorporating Union now of lateestablished, Prelacy is not only strengthened and confirmed, but sosettled as to continue to all succeeding generations, and this nation'sslavery as well as their sin perpetuated. And persons of all ranks havehad a deep hand in this trespass: the nobility and gentry whorepresented the nation, in surrendering their own and the nation'srights and privileges; ministers in not warning them faithfully tobeware of that covenant-breaking course, which could not but provoke Godto anger against this poor island, but showing more concern in thatjuncture for settling their own, then for securing and advancingChrist's interest; and the body of the land, in that they did not bestirthemselves, for the defence of their own liberties in a lawful way. 

In the sixth Article we are bound, "according to our places andcallings, in this common cause of religion, liberty and peace, to assistand defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant, in themaintaining thereof. And in the National Covenant, in like manner, weare bound to stand to the mutual defence and assistance, every one of usof another, in the same cause, with our best counsel, our bodies, means, and whole power, against all sorts of persons whatsoever; so thatwhatsoever shall be done to the least of us for that cause, should betaken as done to all of us in general, and to every one of us inparticular. " A duty very clear in the scriptures; Judges v. 23; 1 Chron. Xii. 1, 18; Neh. Iv. 14; Prov. Xxiv. 11, 12. 

But alas! how little conscience hath been made of this duty? "We havesuffered many of our brethren in many parts of the land to be oppressedof the common enemy, without compassion or relief. There hath been greatmurmuring and repining because of expenses of means and pains in doingof our duty;" and not only so, but many did swear and subscribe oathsand bonds expressly against such assistances, and to condemn all suchendeavors, to assist, defend and rescue them, as rebellion and sedition, and obliging them to assist their murdering malignant enemies, by suchoccurrences as they required. Yea, many instead of coming out to _helpthe Lord against the mighty_, and defending their brethren, did come outto the help of the mighty against the Lord, his cause, Covenant, andoppressed people; concurring in arms against them at all the appearancesthat were made and essayed for the cause of Christ; compearing atcourts, held for informing against and condemning their brethren, thatwere present at, or concerned in such appearances for the Covenantedcause, and coming in as witnesses against them; sitting in assizes forcondemning them, and guarding them to their executions, when martyredfor their duty, and the interest of truth. Many likewise denied toreset, harbor or entertain their brethren, persecuted for maintainingthe Covenanted Reformation; some raised the hue and cry after them, thereby occasioning, and assisting in, the murder of several faithfulbrethren; the most part owned the great murderer who authorized all therest, and enacted all these murders, and assisted him and hisaccomplices, and executioners of his murdering mandates, with theirpersons and estates, in paying the supplies professedly demanded, anddeclaredly imposed, for enabling them to accomplish these mischiefs. Yea, many were so far from assisting, that they added afflictions totheir afflicted brethren, their reproaches, and persecuting by thetongue those whom the Lord had smitten, and talking to the grief ofthose he had wounded. And all sorts of us have been wanting in oursympathy with, and endeavoring succor to, our suffering brethren, let beto deliver them from their enemies' hands according to our capacity. Soalso, it is for matter of lamentation, that many ministers all alongstdiscovered great unconcernedness with, and contempt of, poor despisedand reproached sufferers, condemned the heads of their suffering, forgotor refused to pray for them publicly. And as this Article was allalongst through the persecuting times, most grossly violated, so to thisday it continues to be. Any that would appear in the least active inthis cause, are so far from being assisted that they are borne down, derided, sentenced, and sometimes imprisoned; whatever motions are madein private discourses, or public sermons, which may import a respect to, or liking of, this noble cause of religion, or a dislike of, anddisplacency with the courses opposite unto it, are so far from beingcountenanced, that the movers are hated, vilipended, contemned orcensured, as raisers of dust, formenters of division, pragmatic, turbulent and fractious spirits, and loaded with many other defamatoryepithets and calumnies. Many instances of which may be given since theRevolution. For example, when in the year 1690, there was a paper ofgrievances presented to the Assembly by some of those who had beenkeeping up a witness against the iniquitous courses of the times, andwere now expecting that as the fruit of a merciful delivery fromtyrannical usurpations, and antichristian persecutions, Reformationshould be revived, grievances redressed, judicatories rightlyconstituted, and duly purged, it was far from receiving a kind andfriendly reception and they who presented it left without assistance andhelp, contrary to the tenor of the Covenant, so that that paper couldnot be allowed a hearing, let be a redress, and the persons who offeredit to their consideration were, to their great sorrow and grief ofheart, dismissed without a satisfying answer. As also when Messrs. Linning, Shields and Boyd, who had been carrying on a Testimony againstthe time's defection, and were now minded to join with the Assembly, after the exhibition of their Testimony, whatever acceptance it mightmeet with at their hands, had in prosecution of this their design, exhibited their proposals to the Committee of Overtures, theseproposals, though both worthy of consideration and necessary to beredressed, were not allowed a hearing in open Assembly, but rejected asbeing "made up of mistakes, reflections, unseasonable and impracticableovertures, " and the said persons, so far from being assisted, in orderto a removal of the evils therein complained of, as destructive to thecause of God, that upon the contrary the four named persons stand in thefifth Act of that pretended Assembly characterized with the name andepithet of persons who had followed courses contrary to the order of thechurch, and in their Moderator's exhortation, _to walk orderly in timecoming, in opposition to all schism and division_, their former practiceof testifying against the corruptions of the times was implicitlycondemned as disorderly, schismatic and divisive. Another instance ofthis appeared not long after; when in the year 1692, some of the godlyof the land published their declaration disowning William and Mary'sgovernment, because not qualified as God's word, and our Covenants dorequire, as it is specified at large in the narrative of thatdeclaration; some of them were apprehended and imprisoned, for thatpiece of adherence to the Covenanted Reformation, and opposing or atleast witnessing against the courses which they found to be contrary toit. Yet who at that juncture appeared to assist them in their laudableundertakings? And all alongst since, whosoever has offered grievances, or any way witnessed against the bypast and present defections, havebeen and are prosecuted with church censure, or persecuted with bitterand malicious invectives and reproaches, falling from the tongues andpens of those that are obliged by Covenant to have assisted, defendedand encouraged them. And especially ministers, who by virtue of theiroffice, as well as Covenant engagements, are obliged to excite personsto, and assist them in their duty, have been active to do the quitecontrary; for instance, when some persons offered to give publicsatisfaction for their compliance with Christ's enemies, they refused toadmit them. But to what purpose do we repeat these instances? It is toocertain and evident, that there is more assistance and encouragementafforded to the enemies of this cause and Covenant, by persons of allranks than to the friends and well wishers of it. Love to, and zeal forthis cause are greatly decayed, and therefore mutual sympathy andaffection amongst the people of God in the prosecution and maintenanceof it are much a wanting. 

In the same Article we are bound, "not to suffer ourselves directly orindirectly, by whatsoever combination or terror, to be divided orwithdrawn from this blessed union and conjunction, whether to makedefection to the contrary part, or to give ourselves to a detestableindifferency or neutrality in this cause; and in the National Covenant, that we shall neither directly nor indirectly suffer ourselves to bedivided, or withdrawn, by whatsoever suggestion, allurement or terror, from this blessed and loyal conjunction. According to scripturewarrants. "

Gen. Xiii. 8; Psal. Cxxxiii. Throughout; Zech. Viii. 19; I Cor. I. 10;Eph. Iv. 3; Phil. I. 27, ii. 2; Heb. Xxi. 14; Jer. Ix. 3; Ezek. Xxii. 25; Hag. I. 2; Phil. Ii. 21; II Tim. Iv. 10; Rev. Iii. 15. 

But, alas! it is long since our fathers had reason to complain andconfess, "That many in their day through persuasion or terror, sufferedthemselves to be divided and withdrawn to make defection to the contrarypart. Many had turned off to a detestable indifferency and neutrality inthis cause, which so much concerneth the glory of God, and the good ofthese kingdoms. Nay, many had made it their study to walk so, as theymight comply with all times, and all the revolutions thereof. That itwas not their care to countenance, encourage, entrust, and employ, suchonly as from their hearts did affect and mind God's work; but the heartsof such, many times had been discouraged, and their hands weakened, their sufferings neglected, and themselves slighted, and many who hadbeen once open enemies, and always secret underminers, countenanced andemployed. Nay, even those who had been looked upon as incendiaries, andupon whom the Lord had set marks of desperate malignancy, falsehood anddeceit, were brought in as fit to manage public affairs. "

All which sins and breaches of covenant have now increased to a greatheight of heinousness; for, in our day, these incendiaries, desperateand engrained malignants have only been employed in, and admitted to themanagement of the affairs of the kingdom, and none but they accountedhabile by law; and such divisions from the Covenanted-conjunction, anddefections to the contrary part have been, and are enacted andestablished by law; yea, all the unhappy divisions that have been fromthe _public resolutions_, and downward, have been the woful consequentsand effects of defections to the contrary part. At the first erection ofPrelacy, many, both ministers and professors, partly by terror, partlyby persuasions, did withdraw from this covenanted conjunction, and makedefection unto Prelacy, with which they combined, conforming with, andsubmitting to the ministry of the conforming curates; and afterward, bythe terror of the fear of men, and the persuasions of their counsel andexample, many of the land were seduced into a combination withmalignants, in taking oaths and bonds contrary to the covenant, therebydividing themselves from the recusants, and making defection to theparty imposing them, and opposing the covenants. By combination of thosethat preferred peace to truth, and ease to duty--by the terror ofthreatened continuance of persecution, and the persuasion of a promisedrelaxation and immunity from troubles; many ministers have been dividedfrom the testimony of the Church of Scotland, against the enroachingsupremacy and absolute power, and one from another, and have madedefection to that part and party that were advancing these encroachmentsand usurpations on the prerogatives of Christ and privileges of hischurch; by receiving indulgences and tolerations from them, in their ownnature destructive unto, and given and received on terms inconsistentwith the duties of the covenants, which were contrived and conferred onpurpose to divide them from this cause, and from their brethren thatmore tenaciously adhered to it; and did effectuate that design in agreat measure--and others gave themselves to a detestable indifferencyin complying with, conniving at, and not witnessing against thesedefections, but passing them over in a secure submissive silence. Andas, in the times of persecuting violence, these breaches of this Articlewere made by reason of the snares of that sinful time; so much more hasthere been a manifest violation of it since, when at this day there issuch a universal combination of interests in opposition to thecovenanted reformation. Are not the most of the three kingdoms in onegreat combination against it, by this cope-stone of defection, thisincorporating union? How have we made conscience of performing that partof the covenant anent _resisting the persuasion of men to make defectionto the contrary part_, when the whole land is so deeply involved intoit? There has been, alas! too much way given to carnal arguments andpersuasives--such as worldly gain, ease, profit, and preferment, and toomuch slavish fear and terror of men, whose breath is in their nostrils, has been entertained, without a due reliance and dependance uponOmnipotency; which has greatly carried men off their feet, and wheedledthem into a compliance with, and defection to the contrary part, or intoa neutrality and indifferency in this cause; so that few are foundvaliant for the truth upon the earth. What strange laxness and Laodiceanindifference has there appeared in this cause, through the whole conductof affairs in church and state, since the revolution; whereby manydiscover to every observant eye that they are satisfied if they obtain apeaceful enjoyment of their own things, and liberty to dwell in theirceiled houses--albeit the Lord's house (in a great measure) lies waste?Where are there any acts of Assemblies, or proceedings of the church, which discover any due concern or zeal for the covenanted interests?Nay, the contrary has too frequently appeared; as for instance, when bythe 5th act of the 2d session of William and Mary's 1st Parl. , theestablishment of the church was calculated for the meridian ofstate-policy, according to act 114, Parl. 12, King James VI. Anno 1592. On purpose to pass over in shameful oblivion the church's choicestattainments in reformation betwixt 1638 and 1649; and particularly, tomake void the League and Covenant, with the Assembly's explanatorydeclaration affixed to the National, the malignants' grand eye-sore, there was no faithful protestation and testimony exhibited against thisby the Assembly, then indicted, and convened the 16th of Octoberfollowing; which, if duly pondered in all its circumstances, without themask and pretexts industriously drawn over it, will appear to be, perhaps one of the greatest sins of this nation, and to be littleinferior in nature and aggravations to the burning of the covenants, which is granted by all Presbyterians to be a most atrocious act ofcontempt done to the eternal God, and to his Son Jesus Christ, andcannot be called to mind by any of the godly without great abhorrenceand detestation of it; in so far as the passing over and not ratifyingthese acts of Parliament and Assembly by the respective judicatories, which were made during that time of reformation, was a practical andinterpretative condemning of them as unprofitable, and did greatlycorroborate the acts whereby Charles II. Had declared them null and notobligatory; and did likewise import a vilifying and despising of whatGod had wrought for his people in these lands, during that time; and, lastly, was a manifest indication of disregard to the oath of God, whichthese lands had come under. Neither did that, nor any succeedingAssembly, impartially and explicitly enumerate the land's sins in theirnational fasts; namely, the indulgence and toleration, with theaddresses and thanksgiving for it, and the burning of the covenant, &c. ;neither have they, in any of their addresses to their King or Queen, byletters, or other means, declared unto them the indispensable duty ofrenewing the covenants, nor applied to the Parliament for that effect;neither have they, by their Assembly-acts, asserted the intrinsic powerof the church; neither did they in any of their acts, or public papers, make honourable mention of those who had laid down their lives for theiradherence to Christ's truths during the times of persecution, nortestified their approbation of what was done that way; and yet many ofus have been wanting in testifying our dislike of these backslidingcourses, by discountenancing, withdrawing from, and keeping ourselvesfree of all participation with them; but have received the sacramentsof Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the privilege of marriage at theirhands, and paid tithes and stipends. By all which, it is apparent nowmuch indifferency there has been in this cause of covenanted interest, which so much concerneth the glory of God, the good of the kingdoms, andthe honour of the civil Magistrate. 

Moreover in the same Article we are sworn, "All the days of our lives, zealously and constantly to continue in this cause, against all lets andimpediments whatsoever, and what we are not able ourselves to suppressand overcome, to reveal and make known the same that it may be timeouslyprevented. And in the National Covenant, never to cast in any let, thatmay stop or hinder any such resolution, as by common consent shall befound to conduce for so good ends; but on the contrary, by all lawfulmeans, to labor to further and promote the same; and if any suchdangerous or divisive motion be made to us by word or writ, that we andevery one of us shall either suppress it, or if need be, incontinentmake the same known, that it may be timeously obviated. Agreeing verywell with the scriptures. " Numb. Xiv. 9, 10; Neh. Vi. 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11; Isa. Viii. 12, 13, 14; Acts iv. 19, 20, 24, xxi. 13; Gal. Ii. 5;Phil. I. 28. 

Nevertheless, _many have been the lets and impediments, that have beencast in the way, to retard and obstruct the Lord's work_, by Prelacy, supremacy, indulgences, toleration, and absolute tyranny and compliancetherewith, enacted by law, and all the mischiefs established by a throneof iniquity since the unhappy restoration of Charles II. To this day. Yet few have ever zealously contended and fewer have constantlycontinued in contending, against these obstructions, so obstructive tothe cause, many have kept secret the first motions and appearances ofthese things, while they might have been suppressed and overcome, andthe generality have passed them over in silence, and not made known, noradvertised unto evil of these things when declared, by witnessingagainst these things, when, they could not be otherwise removed orovercome. Yea, many of us have ourselves cast in lets and impediments, obstructive to the cause, by our defections divisions and disordersagainst common consent, and precipitances, without common consent evenof our brethren adhering to the testimony. Many a divisive motion hathnot been counted dangerous, of those which tended to divide us from theCovenanted cause. And many a good and necessary motion hath beenaccounted divisive, namely, such as proposed the necessity of confessingand forsaking sin. 

"Besides these and many other breaches of the Articles of the Covenant, in the matter thereof, which concerneth every one of us, to search outand acknowledge before the Lord, as we could wish his wrath to be turnedaway from us, so have many of us failed exceedingly in the manner offollowing and pursuing the duties contained therein, not only seekinggreat things for ourselves, and mixing private interests, and endsconcerning ourselves, and friends, and followers, with those thingswhich concern the public good; but many times preferring such to thehonour of God and good of his cause; and retarding God's work until wemight carry alongst with us our own interests and designs: it hath beenour way to trust in the means, and to rely upon the arm of flesh forsuccess, albeit the Lord hath many times made us meet withdisappointments, and stained the pride of all our glory, by blastingevery carnal confidence unto us. We have followed for the most part thecounsels of flesh and blood, and walked more by the rules of policy thanpiety, and have hearkened more unto men than unto God. "

In the conclusion of the Solemn League and Covenant there is aprofession and declaration "before God and the world of our unfeigneddesires to be humbled[28] for our own sins and for the sins of thesekingdoms[29]; especially that we have not valued, as we ought, theinestimable benefit of the gospel[30], that we have not laboured for thepurity[31] and power thereof[32], and that we have not endeavoured toreceive Christ into our hearts[33], nor to walk worthy of him in ourlives[34], which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so muchabounding amongst us[35]: all which we are under many obligations toconfess and mourn over from the word; and, of our true and unfeignedpurpose and desire, to endeavour for ourselves and all others under ourpower and charge[36] both in public and in private, in all dutie[37] weowe to God and man, to amend our lives[38] and each one to go beforeanother[39] in the example of a real reformation, that the Lord mightturn away his wrath and heavy indignation, [40] and establish thesekingdoms in truth and peace. [41] Yet we have refused to be reformed andhave walked proudly and obstinately before the Lord, not valuing hisgospel, nor submitting ourselves unto the obedience thereof; not seekingafter Christ, nor studying to honour him in the excellency of hisperson, nor to employ him in the virtue of his offices; not makingconscience of the public ordinances, nor studying to edify one anotherin love. The ignorance of God and his Son Jesus Christ prevailsexceedingly in the land. " Even our fathers in their purest timesconfessed, in their acknowledgement of sins, "That the greatest part ofmasters of families among noblemen, barons, gentlemen, burgesses, andcommons, neglected to seek God in their families, and to endeavour thereformation thereof. And albeit it had been much pressed, yet few of thenobles and great ones could be persuaded to perform family dutiesthemselves in their own persons, which made so necessary a duty to bedisregarded by persons of inferior rank. "

We may add, in our degenerate times, not only the great ones generallyprofess the neglect and contempt of so necessary a duty, both in theirown persons and in the use of chaplains; but the great part of thecommons are altogether strangers to it; many performing no part of thefamily worship at all, others only singing a psalm and reading a chapterwithout praying, and others making a fashion of all, but veryperfunctoriously, formally, and indifferently, and scarcely once in aday. And ministers also making little conscience of visiting families tosee how this duty is performed, not pressing it upon the negligent, norstirring up the formal to a more spiritual way of performing it, nay, some giving bad examples to their flocks, by neglecting it themselves intheir own families. _The nobility, gentry, and barons, who should beexamples of sober walking unto others, are very generally ringleaders ofexcess and rioting_. We have been far from amending our lives andpromoting a personal reformation, and going before one another in theexample of a real reformation, when we have been examples of deformationin our personal practices and public transactions, and beingtoo-familiar and too far united with the patrons and patterns of theland's deformations. "Our fathers also acknowledged, albeit they werethe Lord's people engaged unto him in a solemn way; yet they had notmade it their study that judicatories and armies should consist of, andplaces of power and trust be filled with men of blameless and Christianconversation, and of known integrity and approved fidelity, affection, and zeal unto the cause of God. And not only those who were neutral andindifferent, but disaffected and malignant, and others who were profaneand scandalous were intrusted. By which it came to pass thatjudicatories, EVEN THEN, were the seats of injustice and iniquity. Andmany in their armies, by miscarriages, became their plague unto thegreat prejudice of the cause of God, the great scandal of the gospel, and the great increase of looseness and profanity throughout all theland. " But, since the time of that acknowledgment there has still beenmore and more degeneracy, so that judicatories have consisted of, andbeen filled with perjured traitors to God and their country. And armiesmade up of these plagues marshalled under a displayed banner againstChrist and his interest, not only to the scandal, but for thesuppression of the gospel, and forcing people to profanity throughoutthe land; and now are, to the disgrace of the Protestant religion, madeup of the refuse of the lands, and employed in the support of anAntichristian interest abroad. Yet have we not sighed and cried forthese abominations, nor have we been concerned, as we ought, with theabounding of them through the land. As also, with blushing, we mustconfess our pride and presumptuous boasting of external privileges ofthe gospel and outward reformation, and of a testimony which we braggedof, as if that had made us better than others, while we made noconscience of personal reformation, which, no doubt, amongst othersinful miscarriages, was a main cause of the Lord's depriving us so longa time of the comfortable and soul-enriching mercy of a faithfullydispensed gospel. 

And, in like manner, the conceitedness of some in suffering andcontending for truth, rather for keeping up the contention abetting aparty, and many times under too lofty names of the suffering party, andremnant, and the like, than to keep and hold fast the word of the Lord'spatience to his glory as our crown; and many other evidences of pridehateful to God, such as boasting in the strength of armies in thesuffering times in an ostentatious way, vaunting of, and being too muchtaken up with them, though then necessary for the defence of our lives;rejoicing in our numerousness or worldly abilities, or in the number ofthem that frequent the public ordinances in the fields; or that they, who are owners of the testimony, are for the most, part kept free fromthe gross out-breakings into which others are left to fall; whichthings, though very good and desirable in themselves, may yet be, andhave been, occasions of sin when boasted in, more than humbly andthankfully acknowledged to be from the hand of God. As also, revengefulresenting of affronts, passionate and disdainful refusing to takereproof for faults, or for the excess in any duty, as to the manner ofit, when we thought the matter was right. 

And, it is likewise matter of regret, that both in the time of greatestsuffering and afterwards, idleness of both kinds did too much prevailamongst us; both that when we were in a manner driven from the world, and shut up from all employment but the exercise of godliness, many didnot improve that opportunity of the cross to promote acquaintance andcommunion with God, being slothful in prayer, reading and other duties;and some again, even when they might have had access to lawfulemployments, continued idle and out of work, to the opening of themouths of many against the cause; albeit they were not called to, oremployed in any public business for the same. 

And besides all these things, there may be many other transgressionswhereof the lands wherein we live are guilty, and these attended withmany heinous aggravating circumstances beyond what they were in ourfathers, which we have not been humbled for to this day; but, instead ofmourning for them, confessing and forsaking them, we have been ratherdefending or daubing, covering or coloring, excusing or extenuatingthem. All which we now desire to acknowledge and be humbled for, thatthe world may bear witness with us, that righteousness belongeth untoGod, and shame and confusion of face to us, as appears this day. 

 * * * * *

_A SOLEMN ENGAGEMENT TO THE DUTIES CONTAINED IN OUR NATIONAL AND SOLEMNLEAGUE AND COVENANT. _

_Particularly adjusted to the Circumstances of these Times, Anno 1712_

Because it is requisite, in order to obtain mercy, not only to confess, but also to forsake our sins, and to do the contrary duties; therefore, that the sincerity and reality of our repentance may appear, we resolve, and solemnly engage before God, in the strength and through theassistance of Christ, that we shall carefully endeavour, in all timecoming, to avoid all these offences, whereof we have now made solemnpublic acknowledgment, and all the snares and temptations tendingthereunto; and to testify this sincerity of our resolution, and that wemay be better enabled in the power of the Lord's might, to perform thesame, we do again renew our Covenants, both National and Solemn League, promising to make conscience of a more exact performance of all theduties therein contained, so far as we, in our stations, and presentdeplorable circumstances, are capable; particularly such as follow. 

Because religion is of all things the most excellent and precious in itsown nature, and therefore most to be desired by the children of men, and the knowledge of the great truths of the gospel, so generallydecreased in this land, is so absolutely necessary to salvation;therefore in order to attain it, we shall labor to be better acquaintedwith the _written word of God_, the only infallible rule of faith andmanners; and shall (according to our capacity) study more than formerlythe doctrine of the reformed church of Scotland, summed up in our[42]Confession of Faith, Catechisms Larger and Shorter, Sum of ChristianDoctrine and practical Use of Saving Knowledge, Directory for Worship(as the same was received and observed by this church in her puresttimes, viz. In the year 1649, ) Propositions concerning ChurchGovernment, and Ordination of Ministers, annexed to the Confession ofFaith, and other writings clearing and confirming these truths, approvenby this church, and agreeable to the word of God. 

We shall likewise endeavor the advancing and promoting the power of thistrue Reformed Religion, against all ungodliness and profanity, thesecuring and preserving the purity thereof, against all kinds of errors, heresy and schism, as namely, Independency, Brownism, Anabaptism, Antinomianism, Arminianism, Socinianism, Libertinism, Familism. Scepticism, Quakerism, Deism, Burignonism and Erastianism; and as wedeclare, that we willingly agree in our consciences unto the doctrine ofthe church of Scotland in all points, as unto God's undoubted truth andverity, grounded only upon his written word, so we resolve constantly toadhere unto, maintain and defend, profess and confess, and (when calledof God) to yield ourselves sufferers for the said doctrine, as we shalldesire to be approven and confessed by Jesus Christ, before God and hisholy angels. _2dly_, We shall also study more sincerity, uprightness andheart-integrity in the worship of God, and shall not satisfy ourselveswith the form of it, without the power and spirituality, which God theonly object of religious worship, doth require: and shall endeavor thedue performance of all the duties of religious worship, which God hathin his most holy word required. And shall (if Providence offeroccasion) endeavor to recover, and labor to preserve the purity thereoffrom all corruptions, mixtures, innovations and inventions of men, Popish, Prelatical, or any other; and while we are not able, by reasonof the prevailing power of the abettors and maintainers of them, to getthem removed, we shall labor (through grace) to keep ourselves free fromall sinful communion and participation with them, and shall, in ourstations, testify against these corruptions and perversions of God'sworship, by all competent means. _3dly_, We shall likewise by all lawfulmeans endeavor, that Presbyterian church government in kirk-sessions, presbyteries, synods and general assemblies, may be recovered in itsformer purity, established upon its proper basis and foundation, theword of God; and that it may be freed from all encroachments andinvasions made thereupon by the powers of the earth; and that thediscipline of the church may be impartially exercised against allscandalous offenders, great or small; and when the ministers of thischurch, or any of them, shall sincerely and conscientiously endeavor therestoration of the government in all its privileges, and freedom fromall Erastian encroachments, and to have the discipline duly andimpartially exercised, then we promise to be obedient, and be subjectthereunto, as becomes the flock of Christ; but shall always testify ourdislike of all encroachments made and yielded to, prejudical to theprivileges which Christ hath bestowed upon his church. 

_4thly_, We shall always desire and pray for the reviving of the work ofuniformity in the three kingdoms, and (if the Lord in his providenceshall offer opportunity) shall seek and endeavour it by other meanspossible, lawful, expedient, and competent to us in our capacities; andshall never cordially consent unto, nor cease to testify against, whatsoever doth obstruct and hinder that work of uniformity, and shalldetest and abhor all multiformity, introduced by Erastianism, Prelacy, and Sectarianism, now so prevalent, and confirmed by this late unionwith England. 

According to the second Article, we shall do our utmost endeavour tohave the land purged of Popish idolatry, and the monuments thereofdestroyed, particularly the abomination of the mass; and, so far as liesin our power, shall never suffer the same to be re-introduced or erectedagain, nor favour any attempts tending thereunto. We shall never makeany conjunction with these abominable Popish idolaters, at home orabroad, in armies or otherwise; and shall, according to our NationalCovenant, detest and abhor all their wicked superstitious rites andceremonies. We shall never consent, for any reason whatsoever, that thePenal Statutes made against Papists should be annulled; but shall, whenopportunity offers, be ready to concur in putting them to a due andvigorous execution. _2dly_, We shall, by all approven means, in ourstations and vocations, endeavour the extirpation of Prelacy; and shallnever submit to that wicked hierarchy of Bishops, Archbishops, &c. , having superiority of order and jurisdiction above preaching Presbyters, whether Erastian or only Diocesan, in any form or degree, howsoeverreformed, accommodated, limited, or restricted by cautions andprovisions of men; seeing that all such superiority is flatly condemnedin the Word of God, and hath proven many times fatal to the church ofChrist. We shall detest and abhor, and in our stations witness againstwhatsoever courses, tending to the establishment of that abominablehierarchy; and particularly, the oaths of allegiance, with theassurance, and oath of abjuration, lately imposed on the persons ofpublic trust in these realms, in regard they may justly be interpretedto strengthen that hierarchy, by upholding the persons that maintain thesame. We shall not submit to any orders issued forth by Bishops, nor ownthem as our lawgivers, nor acknowledge any title they have to be membersof parliament or council. _3dly_, We shall in like manner detest, andabhor, and labour, to extirpate all kinds of superstition--all rites andceremonies superadded by human invention to the worship of God, notenjoined and required in his Word; together with all heresy and falsedoctrine, and all profaneness and immortalities of every kind, andwhatsoever is contrary to sound religion; and shall in the strength, andthrough the help of Christ, endeavour to deny all ungodliness andworldly lusts, and from henceforth to live righteously towards ourneighbour, soberly in ourselves, and to walk humbly with our God. 

We shall upon the one hand, endeavour to keep ourselves, as far as wecan, from all partakings in other men's sins, by consenting untoassociations, incorporations, combinations, compliance with, orconniving at, their sins. And upon the other, to guard against allschism, and sinful separation, or unjust, rash, and disorderlywithdrawing from societies, congregations or families, or any part ofthe communion of the true reformed church of Scotland, holding purelyand entirely the doctrine, worship, discipline and government of thesame, in principle and exercise, according to the rules of Christ, andstanding acts and constitutions of this church, consonant thereunto, sofar as the Lord gives light therein. And as we look not upon ourpractice in withdrawing from the backslidden ministers of the presentErastian church, for reasons valid and sufficient, to be a gathering andsetting up formed separate churches under other ordinances and ministry, distinct from the Presbyterian church of Scotland, (although we befalsely aspersed as doing it) so we purpose and resolve always to adhereto that standard of doctrine, discipline, and government, and thatpurity and form of worship, which during our reforming times wereestablished, and to embrace such ordinances, and such a ministry as areof divine appointment; and that we shall not presume to withdraw fromminister or member of that body for any offence, in any case, whereeither the offence may be legally removed without withdrawing, or cannotbe instructed to be condemned by the word of God, and constitution ofthis church, or is in itself an insufficient ground of withdrawing, orwhere it is not defended, or obstinately persisted in, or is a thing tobe condescended upon, forborn, or forgiven; but shall study to maintainunion and Christian communion, with all and every one, whether ministersor private Christians, who adhere unto the purity of the doctrine, worship, discipline and government of the church of Scotland, and to thewhole word of Christ's patience, in the sufferings and contendings ofhis people, in opposition to his enemies' encroachments; and shall join, in the way of truth and duty, with all who do, and in so for as they do, adhere to the institutions of Christ. And because many have labored tosupplant the liberties of the true kirk, and have in a great measure, oflate by indulgences and toleration, and now by oaths of allegiance andabjuration, and encroaching on the freedom of Christ's courts, obtainedtheir design: we shall therefore, to our power withstand and witnessagainst all these encroachments made upon the liberties of Christ'schurch in our land, and when we can do no more, shall withdraw ourcountenance and concurrence from such as hold their freedom from, andare modified by such usurpation; and shall neither hear their sermons, nor pay them stipends, while they continue unfaithful; and shall, whenever God gives us opportunity, endeavor to recover, and whenrecovered, to maintain and defend the liberties and privileges of thechurch of Scotland, against all who shall oppose or undermine the same, or encroach thereupon, under any pretext whatsoever. 

With reference to the third Article, wherein we are bound to defend theprivileges of the Parliament, liberties of the kingdoms, and the King'sMajesty's person and authority, in the defence of the true Reformedreligion: albeit God, in his righteous judgment, hath left the nationsso far to the counsels of their own hearts, as to suffer them to set upMagistrates, wanting the qualifications requisite, and to fill places ofpower and trust with insufficient and disaffected persons, who have norespect to the interest of religion, and this nation in particular togive up the rights and privileges of Parliament, and kingdom, to thewill and lust of the English, and so to betray the interest both ofreligion and civil liberty for unworthy by-ends; yet we purpose andpromise, that we shall always in our capacities bear witness againstthese courses, and shall not by any means corroborate them, or encourageand countenance the maintainers and abettors of them. And if ever theLord in his mercy shall be pleased to open a door of relief, and breakthe cords of the ungodly, we shall not be wanting in all lawful andsuitable endeavors to promote, to our power, the recovery of thatliberty and freedom which we have lost, and to have those acts andoaths, which impede Reformation, rescinded: and that all the righteouslaws, made in favor of the Covenanted Reformation, may be put in fullforce, and duly executed. 

We shall earnestly pray to God that he would give us able men, men oftruth, fearing God and hating covetousness, to bear charge over hispeople, and that all places of power and trust in church, state, orarmy, may consist of, and be filled with men of known good affection tothe cause of God, and of a Christian and blameless conversation; andwhen it shall please the Lord to give us such magistrates and judgessupreme and subordinate, then we will, in the terms of the covenant, yield allegiance to them, and loyally subject to their good government, not from any by-end or sinistrous principle, but out of sincereobedience to God's commandment; and shall willingly support and defendthem, with our estates and lives, in their persevering and defending thetrue reformed Protestant religion, in doctrine, worship, discipline andgovernment, and suppressing all kinds of false religion in theirdominions, and in the administration of justice and punishment ofiniquity; but while the Lord, in his just displeasure for our sins, withholds such from us, we intend to wait till he turn away his anger, and not to stretch forth our hands to iniquity, in owning andcountenancing such as are not duly qualified; as, particularly, thosethat are Popish or Prelatical in their professed principle and practice, and by oaths engage themselves to maintain, and accordingly to defend, the Prelatical form of church government, who oppose and encroach uponthe true government of Christ's house by their supremacy, and tolerateSectarian errors in their dominions, and that every one of them supremeand subordinate; and shall not corroborate their unjust authority, bypacing them cess and supply, for upholding their corrupt courts andarmies, employed in an unjust and antichristian quarrel; or, bycompearing before their judicatories, either to defend or pursuelawsuits, or upon any other account. 

Because we are not in a case to bring to due trial and punishment, condign, according to the merit of their offences, malignants and evilinstruments, according to the fourth Article; therefore, we shallendeavour to keep ourselves, as far as possible, from any compliancewith, or approbation of their cause and courses, opposite to the causeand work of God; and shall endeavour to keep at a distance fromeverything that may anyways import a unitive conjunction, association, or confederacy with them, or strengthening them in their opposition tothe cause of God--the covenanted interest. We shall, through grace, endeavour to represent before the throne of justice their wickedcourses; and pray that God would defeat their inventions, though weshall always, as becomes Christians, implore the throne of grace formercy to their souls, so far as it may be consistent with God's eternalpurpose of electing love. Moreover, we shall always endeavour to guardagainst all unwarrantable and irregular ways, not approven in God'sWord, of punishing malignants and incendiaries, for their opposition toreformation. 

Whereas, in the fifth Article, we are bound to endeavour, that thekingdoms may remain united in a most firm peace and union to allposterity; which union did consist in a uniformity in doctrine, worship, discipline and government, though, as was said, it is now laid aside, and a union entered into which establishes multiformity therein, and sois the opposite of this Covenanted Union. We shall, therefore, deny ourconsent unto, and approbation of this union, and shall, as we have inweakness been witnessing against it formerly, so continue to do for thefuture, and shall not corroborate or strengthen the same; but upon thecontrary, if the Lord afford opportunity, shall do our utmost to havethe _union of the kingdoms settled_ upon the true covenanted basis; andshall lay out ourselves, as far as possible, to entertain correspondenceand sympathy with every one in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, whodo, or shall, to our knowledge, adhere to this League and Covenant. 

According to the sixth Article, considering what danger we and all ourbrethren, under the bond and owning the obligation of these covenants, are in, and may be exposed unto, from the Popish and Prelaticalmalignant faction still prevailing, and from this backslidden church;and being sensible of the many defects which have been amongst us, inthe duty of defending and assisting one another in maintaining thecommon cause of religion and liberty, we do here solemnly enter into abond of association with all that do now renew these covenants, "withthe Acknowledgement of the Public Sins and Breeches, and the Engagementof Duties thereof, and concert and assert the old covenanted cause andquarrel, " as our fathers stated and contended for it, from the year 1638to the year 1650. Which cause of the covenanted reformation in doctrine, worship, discipline and government, and all interests, or rights, religious or civil, contended for during the foresaid space of years, conducing to promote the same, we faithfully promise to prosecute, propagate, preserve and maintain, to the utmost of our power, with ourlives and all that we have; and to adhere to all the faithfultestimonies, protestations and declarations, in the defence of theforesaid covenanted reformation, agreeable to, and founded on God'sWord, ever since the foresaid year 1650, not regarding the foulaspersions of rebellion, combination or schism, or what else ouradversaries, from their craft and malice, would put upon us; seeing whatwe do is so well warranted, and ariseth from an unfeigned desire tomaintain the true religion, to obtain the protection and preserve thehonour of righteous government, and promote the peace and happiness ofthe kingdoms. 

And for the better performance of what we here engage to, we shallsympathize, bear all burdens, embark our interest with, assist anddefend all those, who enter into, or join this association and Covenant, and shall reckon whatsoever is done to the least of us, for this cause, as done to us all in general and to every one of us in particular: andshall account it a breach of Covenant, if seeing our brethren pursuedfor this very cause, and having sufficient means to comfort and assistthem, any of us shall either make peace with the persecutors, bind uptheir hands by oaths and bonds from resisting them, refuse to hide, harbor, or supply their brethren, decline to venture, in lawful andnecessary attempts for their relief, or withdraw from their dutifulsupport; and being thus united and associated in this cause, as weresolve and oblige ourselves to abide in this firm conjunction, andneither consent nor concede to any combination or counsel, suggestion, persuasion, allurement or terror, that may have any known tendency orinfluence, whether direct or indirect, to seduce us either to a divisionamongst ourselves, or defection to our adversaries, or a baseindifferency and neutrality between the two; but shall, with all zeal, fidelity and constancy, communicate our best help, counsel andconcurrence, for promoting all resolutions, which by common consentshall be found to conduce to the good of the cause, and shall endeavorto discover, oppose and suppress, all contrivances or counsels, that maycast in any let or impediment, that may be obstructive or prejudicial tothe same. So we shall likewise desire, design and endeavor, (wheneverthe Lord in his providence shall offer opportunity) to get thedefections, unworthy neutralities, and unhappy divisions, which havelong and lamentably wounded, and wrecked this church, removed andremedied. And shall be willing, with all tender sympathy and compassion, to embrace and welcome with the utmost bowels of kindness and respectthat we can, all who shall confess and forsake these defections, andaccording to their stations, as ministers or private Christians, shall, by all proper means, labor to satisfy the conscience of the godly, thatare through these defections and scandals justly offended, and thataccording to the rules of Christ, delivered in his word, and received inthis church, in her Reforming times, and join cordially with us in theprosecution of this cause; and we shall be willing also, at theirdesire, to acknowledge and forsake, for peace and unity, whatever we canrationally be convinced to be bad in our conduct and management, as wemust acknowledge, that in all things we fail, and come exceedingly shortof that perfection, which we should and would be at. 

And because there be many who heretofore have not made conscience of theoath of God--but some, through fear, others by persuasion, and upon baseends, and human interests, have entered thereinto, who have afterwardsdiscovered themselves to have dealt deceitfully with the Lord, inswearing falsely by his name; therefore, we, who do now renew ourcovenants with reference to these duties, and all other duties containedtherein, do, in the sight of him who is the searcher of hearts, solemnlyprofess, that it is not upon any politic advantage, or private interest, or by-end, or because of any terror or persuasion from men, orhypocritically or deceitfully, that we do again take upon us the oath ofGod; but honestly and sincerely, and from the sense of our duty. Andthat, therefore, denying ourselves and our own things, and, laying asideall-self interests and ends, we shall, above all things, seek the honourof God, the good of his cause, and the wealth of his people; and that, forsaking the counsels of flesh and blood, and not leaning upon carnalconfidences, we shall depend upon the Lord, walk by the rule of hisWord, and hearken to the voice of his servants. In all which, professingour own weakness, we do earnestly pray to God who is the Father ofmercies, through his Son JESUS CHRIST, to be merciful unto us, and toenable us, by the power of his might, that we may do our duty, unto thepraise of his grace in the churches. Amen. 

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 4: In the Preface to this edition, the reader may perceive thesame spirit in 1880. | ED. ]

[Footnote 5: The lawful supreme Magistrate. ]

[Footnote 6: The persons and authority of such, when God of his mercyshall grant them to us. ]

[Footnote 7: King Charles the First. ]

[Footnote 8: Remonstrances, declarations and testimonies of old, and oflate. ]

[Footnote 9: Or any other corruptions thereof, Prelatic or Erastian, either tried or to be tried; such as indulgence, the toleration, themagistrates appointing fasts without advice and consent of the church, dissolving assemblies, &c. ]

[Footnote 10: Remonstrances, declarations and testimonies. ]

[Footnote 11: To righteous governors, (when obtained), and to ourcountry. ]

[Footnote 12: The lawful supreme Magistrate's. ]

[Footnote 13: The person and authority of sovereigns having thequalifications which the Scriptures require. ]

[Footnote 14: The lawful supreme Magistrate's. ]

[Footnote 15: The lawful supreme Magistrate. ]

[Footnote 16: Lawful supreme Magistrates. ]

[Footnote 17: Anno 1638. ]

[Footnote 18: Lawful supreme Magistrates. ]

[Footnote 19: After all supplications, remonstrances protestations andsufferings of our fathers, and our own grievous sufferings andcontendings both before and since the late Revolution. ]

[Footnote 20: When restored, according to their ancient foundation. ]

[Footnote 21: The lawful supreme Magistrate's. ]

[Footnote 22: The lawful Magistrate's. ]

[Footnote 23: The lawful Magistrate, when obtained. ]

[Footnote 24: Our Reformers. ]

[Footnote 25: As they were then. ]

[Footnote 26: The lawful supreme Magistrate. ]

[Footnote 27: Such as the Curate of Carsphairn, and some others. But itis to be noted, that this sentence is not meant of those who eitherdesigned or actually executed that act of extraordinary justice upon theArchbishop of St. Andrews, who being an arch-traitor, and publicincendiary, and implacable enemy to the work of God, and all the godlyin the kingdom, was therefore justly put to death; though (because ofthe defect of justice in those that had authority, ) the act, in respectof the persons executing, was singular and extraordinary. See the samevindicated, _Hind Let Loose_, head vi. , page 633, &c. ]

[Footnote 28: Ezek. Vii. 16. But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the vallies, all of themmourning, every one for his iniquity. ]

[Footnote 29: Ezek. Ix. 4. ----Set a mark upon the foreheads of the menthat sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in themidst thereof. ]

[Footnote 30: Matt. Xxii. 5. But they made light of it, and went theirways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. ]

[Footnote 31: 1 Tim. Vi. 14. That thou keep this commandment withoutspot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ]

[Footnote 32: 2 Tim. Lii. 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying thepower thereof. ]

[Footnote 33: Eph. In. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts byfaith. ----Col. Ii. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus theLord, so walk ye in him. ]

[Footnote 34: Col. I. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto allpleasing. ]

[Footnote 35: 2 Thes. Ii. 10, 11, 12. Because they received not the loveof the truth----For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, thatthey should believe a lie. That they all might be damned, who believednot the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. ]

[Footnote 36: Josh. Xxiv. 15. ----But as for me and my house, we willserve the Lord. Gen. Xviii. 19. For I know him, that he will command hischildren and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of theLord, to do justice and judgment. ]

[Footnote 37: 1 Tim. Iii. 15----That thou mayest know how thou oughtestto behave thyself in the house of God. ----]

[Footnote 38: Psal. Ci 2. I will walk within my house with a perfectheart. Jer. Vii. 3. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel;amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in thisplace. Isa. I. 16, 17; _Cease to_ do evil. Learn to do well. ----]

[Footnote 39: Jer. 1. 8. Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and goforth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be ye as the he goats beforethe flocks. ]

[Footnote 40: Zech. I 3. Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and Iwill turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Psal. Lxxxv. 3. Thou hasttaken away all thy wrath; thou hast turned thyself from the fiercenessof thine anger. Verse 4th. Turn us, O God of our salvation and causethine anger towards us to cease]

[Footnote 41: Psal. Lxxxv. 9, 10. Surely his salvation is nigh them thatfear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are mettogether; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 

Isa. Xxxii. 17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and theeffect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. 

Zech. Viii. 19----Therefore love the truth and peace. ]

[Footnote 42: Note. The Confession of Faith is here adhered to, as itwas received and approven by the General Assembly of this church, bytheir Act of the 27th of Aug. 1647, Sess. 23, the 2d Article of the 31stChap, being understood, as explained in that Act, and the 4th Sect, ofthe 23d Chap, being understood, as it is explained in our InformatoryVindication, page 196, 2d Edition. ]

[Typographical errors excepted, and _Historical Introduction_substituted for _Preface_, this edition agrees with those of Paisley, 1820, and Belfast, 1835. --ED. ]

ACT OF COVENANT RENOVATION, AGREED UPON AT PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880, BY THE

REFORMED PRESBYTERY, AFTER THE APPROVED EXAMPLE OF OUR FATHERS, AT

AUCHENSAUGH, 1712, AND ACCOMMODATED

TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

 * * * * *

"I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteousjudgments. "--_Psalms_ cxix: 106. 

"They (Egyptians) shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. "--_Is_. Xix: 21. 

The Corinthians "first gave their own selves to the Lord. "--_2 Cor_. Viii: 5. 

COVENANT RENOVATION. 

Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God. --_Ps_. Lxxvi: II. 

PREFACE. 

Having in prospect a united, public and solemn approach to our covenantGod, some important principles should be understood, that we may proceedwith intelligence and have sure ground for our faith. 

"God is love;" and reciprocal love constitutes "the bond of perfectness"between God and rational creatures. Communion with God is the supremefelicity and highest honor of which angels and men are capable. Thefirst emanation of divine love revealed to us was displayed in thecovenant of works; although not called a covenant, the narrativecontains all the elements essential to a federal deed, comprising asummary of the whole moral law. Thus the sovereign love of God wasmanifested through the medium of law and covenant inseparably combined;and this is the Lord's manner of dealing with mankind till the presenttime. 

That covenant was made with us in Adam as our common father and publicrepresentative. By the breach of it we are born in Adam's image and"children of wrath;" for the principle of representative identificationpervades the moral universe. Our rational and social nature fits us bothfor personal and federal responsibility. 

When we had "destroyed ourselves" by apostasy from God, then did God"show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward usthrough Christ Jesus. " The gift of his Son to be a covenant head tosinners is God's highest, and most glorious demonstration of hisineffable love. The breadth, and length, and depth, and height of thelove of Christ passeth knowledge; and the displays of this love throughthe covenant of grace will doubtless furnish matter of admiration toholy angels, and of adoring gratitude to redeemed sinners throughouteternity. Rev. I: 5, 6. 

Ever since our fall in Adam God has dealt with our sinful race bycovenant. This covenant was made with Christ as Mediator between God andman, and as the representative of all whom the Father gave him to beredeemed and brought to glory. John xvii: 2. Accordingly, the LordJesus, immediately on the fall of our first parents, entered upon hiswork of mediation. To them first he announced his commission, declaringhis purpose to "bruise the serpent's head--to destroy the works of thedevil. " Gen. Iii: 15; 1 John iii: 8. Christ is given "for a witness tothe people; a leader and commander to the people; to have power over allflesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hathgiven him. "

Throughout the whole of the mediatorial administration the law and thecovenant are distinct, though inseparably connected: and although manycovenants are mentioned in the Scriptures, and even distinguished as_old_ and _new_. Jer. Xxxi: 31; Heb. Viii: 8; yet we must understandthese as only different and successive modes of administering one andthe same Covenant of Grace. This covenant was proclaimed before thedeluge by prophets, as Enoch and Noah; after the flood by patriarchs;then by the ministry of Moses and other prophets, when John the Baptistand the Messiah in person proclaimed it; and from the day of Pentecosttill the end of the world is the last dispensation--still, the covenantis immutably the same. The most solemn and memorable act of covenantingwith God was at Horeb, otherwise called Sinai, when the Israelites werefirst and formally organized in ecclesiastical and civil relations. Then"Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. " Ps. Cxiv: 2. 

Besides circumcision and the passover, both of which involved covenantobligation, God instituted the additional ordinance of public and socialfederal transaction, that the whole body might glorify him by a unitedact of solemn dedication as his special property separated visibly fromthe world. Is. Lxiii: 19. And that this is a moral ordinance, and ofperpetual obligation, is evident from the practice of God's people, bothunder the Old and New Testament, and the language of prophecy. Deut. Xxix: 10-12; 2 Cor. Viii: 5; Is. Xliv: 5. 

Again, when we renew our covenant, we do not mean that the obligationhas ceased, or that we can increase its obligation, for this is infiniteand permanent; we intend by our personal act to deepen and render moredurable our sense of preexisting obligation. This is, indeed, theimmediate object of all renovations, by Moses, Joshua, kings of Judahand Nehemiah. And as we have seen, this ordinance was observed byChristians in the time of the apostles, so their practice may be tracedthrough history afterwards, however obscure, until the time of theReformation from Popery; when in Europe, both continental and insular, this ordinance was revived and exemplified. Among all nations inChristendom Scotland stands preeminent since first emancipated frombondage in mystical Babylon, for the frequency and fidelity of herecclesiastical and national vows to the Most High. After many struggleswith Popery and Prelacy, during which Christ's witnesses in that landderived strength and courage from vows renewed to withstand theseorganized oppressors; at length by their example and influence thekingdoms of England and Ireland were brought into a confederation bythat famous and grand document, the Solemn League and Covenant. Taken inconnection with the National Covenant of Scotland, those three nationsand the churches in them were voluntarily bound to God and to each otherby all the solemnity of cords and bands made in heaven. Yet, through thecorruption of human nature and the restless malice of the Dragon and hisangels, these bands were treacherously broken and the cords cast away. Although those symbols of the public faith were Scriptural documents, yet the reformation as truly described by the late Mr. Robert Lusk, wasto the majority "a reformation only on paper. " Like Israel of old thehearts of most of the people were not right with God, neither were theysteadfast in his covenant. Ps. Lxxviii: 37. This was soon made manifestby the Public Resolutions, accepting Indulgences, and the subsequenttwenty-eight years of persecution inflicted upon those who "stood to thecovenant. " Then followed, in 1689, what the apostates called, and theirsuccessors still fondly hail, as the "glorious Revolutionsettlement!"--a settlement which, by forms of law, consigned thenations' solemn vows to oblivion, with all possible expressions ofdetestation by the infamous "Act Rescissory. " In the year 1707, the "Actof Incorporation" brought the church and kingdom of Scotland underdegrading bondage to the anti-Christian, Prelatic and Erastian throne ofBritain. 

While these steps of apostasy were in progress, the Lord preserved a"wasted remnant" of witnesses, who "resisted unto blood striving againstsin. " These valiant Christian patriots--"the Society People"--keptthemselves and their garments clean, and kept also the word of Christ'spatience. They never were _dissenters_, nor properly called the "OldDissenters. " During this hour of temptation they were destitute of thehelp and guidance of a public ministry. At length, in the year 1706, Mr. John M'Millan, wearing the honorable badges of suspension anddeposition, imposed by his apostate brethren for advocating in theirAssembly the continued obligation of the Covenants. National and SolemnLeague, (Is. Lxvi: 5, ) was joyfully received as their minister by thevoice of the Society people. In the year 1712, at Auchensaugh, Mr. M'Millan, with the assistance of Mr. John M'Neil, licentiate, "resolvedto set about this solemn and tremendous duty of renewing their nationalcovenants with God. " Their mode of procedure was Scriptural, followingthe examples of Moses and others to Nehemiah--"the footsteps of theflock. " They framed three papers, History, Confession and Engagement. The text of the Covenants of our fathers was left entire, only someexplanatory words and phrases being placed in the margin. Theseexplanations were then necessary to clear that question ofquestions--"Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee?"--aquestion to be finally settled only at the sounding of the lastApocalyptic trumpet. Rev. Xi: 15. That transaction was ever afterincorporated with the Terms of Communion. 

Some years after this transaction another renovation took place inScotland, at a locality called Crawford-John; but no attainments werethen made, nor has any authentic record of the proceedings beentransmitted to posterity. Also the Seceders, soon after their erectionas a distinct organization in Scotland, and repeatedly since in Britainand America, by public covenanting have contributed to the preservationof sound doctrine and Christian practice. We cannot, however, accord tothem the honor of being the successors of the covenanted witnesses, which they unwarrantably claim, seeing that they disowned the "civilpart" of the public Covenants, and thus unwittingly, we charitablybelieve, passed an implied censure on the One Lawgiver for having givenus a second table in the moral law!

We merely refer to the Octoraro transaction, (1743, ) conducted by thatunstable minister, Mr. Craighead, as being unworthy of anything morethan historical notice. 

The two most noteworthy instances of avowed covenant-renovation withinthe present century are those at Dervock, Ireland, in 1853, and inPittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1871; and we class them together, becausehowever the respective documents differ in their provisions, and in ourjudgment some of these are irreconcilable, yet the parties have eversince agreed to coalesce. Reference is here made only to a sample of_essential_ discrepancies. In the Dervock bond the British Covenants areexpressly mentioned and owned; in the Pittsburg bond they are neitherowned nor mentioned, although both were urged at the time, while theywere openly vilified without rebuke. In the former Prelacy is abjured, in the latter it is not so much as named. The fourth article of theformer is irreconcilable with the fourth article of the latter. Theformer is limited by _recognized truth_; the latter substitutes fortruth _supposed piety_. But since these two parties, in the face of suchantagonistic fundamental principles, do actually harmonize in practice, coming down to treat with opposing parties in the plain of Ono, theirexample of treachery in covenant can be regarded only as a beacon ofwarning. 

Strictly speaking, no new obligation has been imposed or assumed sincethe law was given at Sinai. We are to "keep the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. " This is just what Christ still enjoins upon hisdisciples--"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I havecommanded you. " The footsteps of Christ's flock differ nothing now fromwhat they were in the days of Solomon. Some turn back into Egypt, whileothers turn aside with the "flocks of the companions to right-handextremes or left-hand defections"; for the harlot's "ways are moveablethat thou canst not know them, " and we are warned--"Come not near thedoor of her house. "

The federal deeds which we propose to renew are, of course, those of ourwitnessing fathers, the National Covenant of Scotland and the SolemnLeague of Scotland, England and Ireland, adapting these public deeds toour time, and comprising all preceding and subsequent attainments, aswas done by our predecessors at Auchensaugh. Our condition andsurroundings are in many respects similar to theirs. "Their soul wasexceedingly filled with the scorning of those that were at ease, andwith the contempt of the proud"; but they were also exposed to manyperils from the existing ecclesiastical and civil authorities which theypublicly disowned. 

All inspired records of public vows to God by his united people, fromthe time of Moses to Nehemiah, contained a synopsis of specialprovidence towards themselves and others, of sins, mercies andjudgments; and these were motives to this special duty, though not arule--"And because of all this we make a sure covenant and write it. "

After these examples, which we judge "written for our learning, " werenew our own and our ancestors' covenants, neither ecclesiastically nornationally as representatives of either church or state, as they are nowconfederated against the Lord and his Anointed: but we appear publiclyas a "despised remnant, " avowing allegiance to Zion's only King and"Prince of the kings of the earth, " pledging adherence to those publicdeeds of our progenitors, in which the divine ordinances of Church andState are exhibited; and in which they are exemplified as co-ordinate, mutually independent, friendly, and helpful to the family and to eachother. Thus acted the people of God under the covenant of grace in allages; and so acted his servants at Auchensaugh, whose more immediateexample we propose to follow. 

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CONFESSION OF PUBLIC SINS. 

All authentic history confirms the declaration of the Sacred Scriptures, That by one man sin entered into the world, and that there is not a justman upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. Yet there is mercy withGod that he may be feared, and plenteous redemption to redeem Israelfrom all his trespasses. But we are assured that "he that covereth hissins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shallhave mercy. "

Believing these teachings of God's word, and in view of renewing solemnvows to him, we now give glory to the Lord God of Israel by makingconfession of our own and our fathers' sins in violating our solemncovenants. We acknowledge the heinous sins of repeated violation of ourcovenanted unity--_First_, By joining in a military confederacy with theAmerican Colonies in the revolutionary war of 1776. _Second_, Joining ina similar confederacy with Irish Papists and others to cast off theBritish government in 1798. _Third_, In a similar confederacy in the warbetween the United States and England in 1812. _Fourth_, By the likemilitary association in the recent civil war: and these sins wereaggravated by framing oaths of allegiance or fidelity in the years 1812and 1863. 

Some of those who had violated their covenants by military associationwith the United Irishmen fled for refuge to the United States; andwithout undergoing censure became active agents in constituting apresbytery without authority had from the parent body in Scotland, 1798;and proceeded in 1806 to frame and publish _Reformation PrinciplesExhibited_, a work which removed landmarks which the fathers had set;and which with an abstract of Terms of Communion unpresbyteriallyintroduced, unsettled the foundations and issued in the lamentabledisruption of 1833. 

In Scotland the leaders of the people caused them to err by changing theTerms of Communion in the year 1822, and the Testimony in 1837. Whilethese changes were made in the Covenanted Church's organic law some ofthe most popular and influential ministers--theological professors, werepublicly transgressing our covenants by joining in affinity with diversconfederacies for moral reform. Doctor Andrew Symington, the mostinfluential minister in the Synod did actually and publicly co-operatewith the Evangelical Alliance; and in 1841 the same professor was amongthe foremost in projecting a plan for a "concert of prayer, " by diversesorts of professors, those of the Established Church of Scotland beingexpressly mentioned. No wonder the hesitating _Covenanter_ ventured atleast to express preferance for "more generally small meetings forprayer, to a large number of Christians of different names. " This kindof amalgamation being contrary to Scripture was a breach also of theSolemn League, the sixth article of which was evidently designed by ourfathers to prevent such social sins under the name of religion. TheTheological Seminary in Scotland, as a corrupt fountain, polluted allthe streams, the ministers taking the lead in the defection, as is nowmanifested to the world. 

All along our history in Scotland, Ireland and America, the sin of theantediluvians and of Israel after the flesh has been imitated byus--joining with the known enemies of truth and righteousness, in theface of many fearful judgments for such breaches of solemn vows. 

The ministers took the lead in joining and inducing others to join theColonization Society, a scheme for the removal of colored freedmen fromamong the bondmen, that slavery might be more secure and more certainlyperpetuated by removing the disturbing element; and all this under theguise of evangelizing Africa! The General Synod which had unanimouslypatronized that scheme in 1828, discovering the deception, did in 1836, by a majority transfer its patronage to the rival cause of Abolition, thus continuing and persevering in the same transgression, from whichthey are not reclaimed to this day. 

About the same time when we were ensnared in these unscripturalconfederacies, occasional hearing naturally became developed in asabbath-school, which for a short time was conducted jointly by threedenominations in Pittsburgh--Covenanters, Seceders and AssociateReformed, violating our covenanted unity and erecting an unauthorizedagency for spiritual instruction. The General Synod did, in 1840, abolish its own deligation form and the Subordinate Synods in violationof conventional law and Presbyterial order, and still continues toadhere to this two-fold breach of the brotherly covenant. That body, carrying on defection, joined in military association as noticed above, during the late civil war between the Union and Confederate armies, framing an "oath of fidelity, " and thus profaning a divine ordinance bypledging themselves to enforce an atheistical constitution and executethe laws: and some of them glory in their shame and boast of thisflagrant and complicated breach of solemn vows to the contrary. 

While recognizing many precious principles embodied in the Dorvock bond, we cannot give it our approbation as an adequate renovation of ourNational Covenant and Solemn League, because it not only omits butobviously excludes the Form of Presbyterial Church Government and theDirectory for Public Worship, and seems to substitute for these theTestimony which is incompatible with that of 1761; although the twodocuments above named were received by our General Assembly of Scotlandas "part of the uniformity" to which we are bound in the Solemn League. And besides, all their symbols of faith mentioned in the Dervocktransaction as subordinate, are owned only as "_Doctrinal_ Standards, "thus leaving at loose ends individual and social Christian _practice_. This document is therefore a defective, evasive, and consequentlyinadequate renovation of our Covenants. 

The sound principles comprised in the Pittsburgh bond are still morepalpably rendered nugatory by contradictions, manifold evasions andambiguous phrases; such as "accepted manuals, our fathers' covenants, "etc. ; while the solemn pledge to "maintain Christian friendship withpious men of every name, and to feel and act as one with all in everyland who pursue this grand end "--an _undefined_ end--would overthrow, if this were possible, the whole scriptural fabric of our PresbyterialCovenanted Reformation. Treachery and perfidy, not to say perjury, arebound up in the Pittsburgh bond, especially in pledging themselves tothe performance of civil duties "not forbidden in the law of God. " Someof the native fruits of this transaction, tending still more to corruptthemselves and others are the continual practice of occasional hearing, exchange of pulpits and correspondence by delegation. 

This body has placed itself under the authority of the PennsylvaniaLegislature, having petitioned for and obtained an act of incorporation, and having voluntarily submitted to the Erastian civil jurisdiction ofthe state of Pennsylvania and of the United States. The civil Charterexpressly institutes and appoints its trustees to be regulated andlimited in the exercise of the functions of their respective offices bythe constitutions of Pennsylvania and of the nation. Their bond preparedthe way for this more gross and practical surrender of all that isdistinctive in our covenanted position. And finally, so far as we knowall parties in the three lands claiming to be Reformed Presbyterians, have for years renounced those provisions of our Directory which requirethe lines to be read in public praise to God, and the banns to beproclaimed before marriage. 

The nations throughout Christendom, continue in league with Antichristand give their strength to the beast. They still refuse to profess anddefend the true religion in doctrine, worship, government anddiscipline, contrary to the example of the kingdoms of Scotland, Englandand Ireland in the seventeenth century. Some of them have waged wars ofconquest, under pretence of opening a way for the spread of the gospel;and disregarding international law, have violated solemn treaties amongthemselves, and all of them practically disregard divine authority;habitually profaning the Christian Sabbath, by carrying the mail, bycommercial traffic, and parties of pleasure on land and water. 

Acknowledging the righteousness of divine judgment upon ourselves andothers for manifold violations of God's law and breaches of our own andour fathers' solemn vows in our domestic, ecclesiastical and civilrelations; we desire to humble ourselves before God for these sins, andfor others not contained in this enumeration. Seeing that God hathpunished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hath left us a smallremnant in his sovereign mercy, our prayer to him is that he may enableus by his grace to bring forth fruits meet for repentance, to the gloryof his great and holy name, and the commendation of his pardoning mercy. 

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ACT OF ADHERENCE TO OUR COVENANTS. NATIONAL AND SOLEMN LEAGUE; ASADAPTED TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

We, office-bearers and members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, convinced by the Word and Spirit of God of our guilt and depravity byour breach of covenant in Adam; of utter inability to save ourselvesfrom the ruins of the falls or its just penal consequences; desiringmoreover to bless, the Lord, that when we were yet without strengthChrist died for the ungodly; that a door of faith has been opened to theGentiles, and repentance unto life granted to such; taking our warrantand encouragement from God alone, with our hands lifted up towardhim:--do swear by his great and fearful name as the Lord our God, that--

I. We accept God in Christ for ourselves and our children as offered tous in the gospel, to be our everlasting portion; and we joyfullysurrender ourselves and our all to him as his rightful and exclusiveproperty. We cordially approve the Covenant of Grace, and embrace it asall our salvation and all our desire. Dead to the law as a covenant ofworks, we cheerfully receive it from Christ's hand as our perfect ruleof life, to direct our personal and social conduct. Aiming to glorifyGod as our chief end, and to do good unto all men as we haveopportunity--especially to the household of faith--we promise in thestrength of divine grace to search the Scriptures, conforming heart andlife to this standard, in constant opposition to the course of thisworld, exemplifying godliness and honesty before men all our days. 

II. Set for the defence of the gospel, and under manifold obligations tocontend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints, we acknowledge the Scriptures of the Old and new Testament to be theWord of God and the alone infallible rule of faith and manners, rejecting any and all additions or subtractions, false translations, perverting or wresting them to men's destruction. 

We own also, as subordinate standards of faith and practice of doctrineand order, the National Covenant and Solemn League: as also theWestminster formularies, well known by their names--viz. , the Confessionof Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Form of Church Government, and Directory of Public Worship; as these were received respectively bythe Church of Scotland in the years 1645, '47, and '48, not merely as"_Doctrinal_ Standards, " but as symbols, all of them, of Christianpractice also, and as a part of the uniformity sworn to in the SolemnLeague. We adhere to the Renovation of the National Covenants atAuchensaugh, 1712, as comprising the same grand Scriptural principleswith the original deeds, and preserving the identity of the moralperson, which became more visible in 1761 by a Judicial Testimony, re-exhibited in 1858 and 1876. 

We repudiate the Renovation at Dervock, 1853, as being inadequate, defective, and unfaithful--part of the document couched in abstract, evasive, and equivocal language. Also, we condemn and reject thePittsburgh Bond, as ambiguous, self-contradictory and treacherous--"asnare on Mizpah. " We abjure and testify against Popery, as delineated byour ancestors in the National Covenant, together with the fictitiousdogma of the Immaculate Conception, and the blasphemous assumption bythe Pope of Jehovah's incommunicable prerogative of Infallibility. Inlike manner we reject Prelacy, whether Erastian or Diocesan, as abjuredin the National Covenant and more explicitly in the Solemn League; whilein pity for the persons involved in these despotic systems, we will prayand labor for the extirpation of these poisonous plants, and theemancipation of their deluded admirers. We condemn and disown allexisting systems which involve the infidel element called Voluntaryism, representing the divine ordinances of Church and State as mutuallyinimical or in any way antagonistic, thus impeaching the wisdom of theAlmighty. 

III. Believing that the Son of God has been, as Mediator appointed heirof all things, and invested with universal dominion; that he reigns andmust reign till all his impenitent enemies be put under his feet: wepledge ourselves in reliance on divine grace to continue our advocacy ofhis claims upon the homage and willing obedience of individual andsocial man, in the family, the church and the civil commonwealth. Wewill maintain and urge his exclusive right to prescribe the faith andorder of the church by his royal authority. We promise to inculcate andexemplify Presbyterian Church Government as alone of divine right andunalterable. 

Believing, moreover, that civil government, originating in the will ofGod as Creator, has been placed by the Father under the authority of theMediator, and that the principal objects to be promoted by this divineordinance are the glory of its Author, the welfare of mankind, and theprosperity of the church; we engage to endeavor the reformation of thenations by testifying against all neglect or contempt of Messiah'sclaims, or impious invasion of his rights by either rulers or subjects. In joyful anticipation of the universal reign of righteousness and peaceon the earth, we will labor and pray for a gospel ministry and aScriptural magistracy; testifying against all corruptions of these orsubstitutes for them. Persuaded of the adaptation and sufficiency ofdivine ordinances to effect reformation, we will refuse to identify orincorporate with any substitutes for these, or to co-operate withvoluntary associations for moral reform, whether secret and sworn, oropen and pledged, as these imply want of faith in divine ordinances, andin the wisdom and beneficence of our covenant God. 

IV. Believing that the Christian Church is one by her divineconstitution, and lamenting existing divisions among the children ofGod; recognizing the obligation upon us to love the brotherhood, we willendeavor to cultivate charity in private intercourse towards all whoreflect the divine image; and help to elevate them to the platform ofthe Covenanted Reformation as our only recognized bond of organic andministerial church-fellowship. Nor will we, in reliance upon thepromised and continued supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, permitourselves to be divided from this our covenanted unity and uniformity bythe promises, threats, or solicitations of surrounding communities. Through divine grace we will endeavor, by practical manifestation of thetruth, to commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight ofGod, as the most effectual means of healing Zion's breaches, that aregreat like the sea. 

V. Having learned from God's Word that all who live godly in ChristJesus shall suffer persecution, in their character, in their substance, or in their persons; and knowing from the recorded history of those whonobly stood to their covenant that they were subjected to all thesekinds of suffering; and since our Sovereign Lord in his holy providencefor the trial of the patience and faith of his saints permits Antichristto practice and prosper, the kings of the earth still giving theirstrength unto the beast: we therefore, anticipating like treatment froman opposing world wherever we may sojourn, resolve in his strength tofollow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth, as our leader, endeavoring soto diffuse the sweet savor of his name, that in due time and in everyland men shall be blessed in him, and all nations shall call himblessed. 

VI. Finally, this solemn renewal of our federal obligations we confirmby oath in the presence of the omniscient God, who searcheth our hearts, uninfluenced by any selfish, worldly, politic, or carnal motives orends; but singly with a view to the glory of God and the temporal andeternal welfare of our fellow-men; beseeching our Father in heaven forChrist's sake so to furnish us with the gifts and graces of his HolySpirit, that we may prove faithful unto death, and joyfully welcome, theglorious appearing of our final and chosen Judge. 

And in testimony of our desires, and assurance to be heard, wesay--Amen.